LSSL 5360: Module 1 -- Picture Books

The Rough Patch by Brian Lies



1)    BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lies, Brian.  2018.  THE ROUGH PATCH.  Ill. by Brian Lies.  New York:  Greenwillow Books.  ISBN 9780062671271


2)    PLOT SUMMARY
In The Rough Patch, Lies takes readers on a rollercoaster of emotions and brings the story full circle.  Evan and his dog did everything together, but the activity they enjoyed the most was working in the garden.  One day though, Evan’s world is turned upside down when his beloved dog dies and he has a difficult time continuing the activities they used to love to do together.  Evan lets the garden go, weeds start to take over, and the garden became a sad, desolate place.  Until one day a pumpkin vine began to grow within the weeds, and Evan decided to tend to the plant.  Soon his pumpkin was full grown, Fair Week was coming up, and Evan decided to show his pumpkin.  While at the fair, Evan was getting back to his old self, and even won a prize.  He could either have ten dollars or a puppy, Evan immediately said he’d take the money but was intrigued to take just one look into the box. 


3)    CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Lies does a remarkable job of allowing the reader to experience a variety of emotions throughout the book.  Most readers will be able feel empathy when Evan goes through the loss and grief of his beloved dog, as well as remembering the joy and love that a pet brings to a home.  Lies brings the story full circle when Evan begins to heal with the help of nature, which is part of the bond that he shared with his dog, and how it brought him back to life.  This book is great resource to teach students the concepts of loss, grief, hope, love, friendship, and curiosity in a way that they can easily comprehend.  As I read this book to my niece and nephew, they felt Evan’s emotions right along with him.  They have an older dog and I know this book will be great to read to them again when the time comes to make the transition easier for them.  It’s always hard to lose a loved one, and we need to teach students it’s okay to feel the deep loss, and that one day it will get better.  Lie’s illustrations do a phenomenal job of portraying Evan’s emotions and showcasing the highs and lows throughout the books.  The beginning of the book is full of vivid, colorful images when Evan and his dog are having a great time together, and then the mood shifts to shadows and darker images when Evan is feeling grief over the loss of his beloved dog.  Lies does a remarkable job of taking readers on an emotional journey.


4)    REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Kirkus’ Review:  “Nature brings healing and a reawakening of the heart.

Evan, a farmer, is a red fox; his best friend and trusty companion is a black mutt. They do everything together, including work in Evan’s lush garden. Eventually the dog dies, and Evan is inconsolable. Progressing through the stages of grief, Evan mourns, then feels bitter anger and destroys the garden, hacking it to pieces (presumably not, as some readers may wonder, the corner where he buried his friend). Matching Evan’s mood, the formerly beautiful place is now weed-filled and forlorn. A creeping pumpkin vine gradually helps Evan to reassess his thinking. Deciding not to destroy the nascent plant, he cultivates it; his tender horticultural touch allows the pumpkin to develop into a gourd of enormous proportions. Bringing it to the fair, Evan wins third place—and oh, what a prize he chooses, revealed wordlessly on the book’s final page! This story is simply and subtly told with admirably genuine emotion, but the textured, strong-hued art is the real standout. Charming images, such as Evan’s gardening boots with holes for claws, and heart-wrenching ones—note Evan’s bending over the dog’s unmoving body—are to savor. Lies also matches colors and characters’ expressiveness to moods and provides white space around numerous vignettes to focus readers’ attention.

Reassuring and clear, this is a heartfelt story about loss and discovering that one can love again.”  (Reviewed 4/25/2018)

Horn Book’s Review:  “Evan (an anthropomorphized fox) and his dog enjoy doing everything together, but especially working in Evan's garden. Lies's lush acrylic, oil, and colored-pencil illustrations with delicate line work evoke the magnificence of Evan's garden, then his intense sadness and isolation after his beloved dog dies. This tender story of loss, hope, and recovery comes full circle when Evan hesitantly returns to gardening — and gets a new puppy, to boot.”  (Reviewed 1/28/2019)


5)    CONNECTIONS
v This is a great book to teach students the concept of emotions, such as empathy, loss, grief, friendship, curiosity, and the beauty and healing powers of nature.
v Other similar stories:
Klise, Kate.  STAY:  A GIRL, A DOG, A BUCKET LIST  ISBN 1250107148
DiCamillo, Kate.  GOOD ROSIE  ISBN 0763689793
Becker, Aaron.  A STONE FOR SASCHA  ISBN 0763665967

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LSSL 5360: Module 1 -- Picture Books

Image
Finding Winnie:   The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear   by Lindsay Mattick                                        1)     BIBLIOGRAPHY Mattick, Lindsay.   2015.   FINDING WINNIE:   THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS BEAR.   Ill. by Sophie Blackall.   New York:   Little, Brown and Company.   ISBN 9780316394703 2)     PLOT SUMMARY Finding Winnie is a true story of a bear that changed many lives, and was the inspiration for Winnie the Pooh.   Lindsay Mattick, Harry Colebourn’s great-granddaughter, shares with her son Cole how a bear named Winnie made an impact on several lives.   Harry Colebourn discovered a bear at a train station on his way to war.   He bought the bear a...
Read more

Textbook Reflections: 1-5

Chapter 1:  Why do we share literature with children? 1)       It is fun! §   We share our passions with others, and make time to read within our busy lives. §   Opening a book is equivalent to opening a present! §   Book covers entice us to read them! §   If we enjoy a book and read it enthusiastically, our audience shares in the enjoyment. 2)       It aides in language acquisition and development! §   A student is exposed to more words, the more time they spend reading. §   If a student reads twenty minutes a day, it amounts to 1,800,000 words per year and in the 90 th percentile for standardized tests! §   Students accumulate the most growth in vocabulary between birth and 5 years old. §   Children add new words into their everyday vocabulary based on the books they are exposed to you. 3)       It helps develop empathy within children! § ...
Read more

LSSL 5360: Module 1 -- Picture Books

Image
Eloise by Kay Thompson 1)     BIBLIOGRAPHY Thompson, Kay.   1955.   ELOISE.   Ill. by Hilary Knight.   New York:   Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.   ISBN 9780671223502 2)     PLOT SUMMARY Eloise is told from the point of view of six year old Eloise and her life in the Plaza Hotel in New York.   Eloise has a very inquisitive nature, and takes you on a journey in the day of her very imaginative life.   Eloise is very descriptive in her observations of everyday life in the Plaza, and gives a detailed account of everyone she encounters in her day.   Nanny, her nurse, is her beloved companion and takes care of her in her mother’s absence.   Eloise and Nanny have a daily routine that they follow, and Eloise embellishes it with her imagination.   She makes it a point not to be bored, and has a variety of activities that keep her busy in the hotel.   Eloise is always pl...
Read more