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The tunnel  Cover Image Book Book

The tunnel / written by Sarah Howden ; illustrated by Erika Rodriguez Medina.

Howden, Sarah. (Author). Rodriguez Medina, Erika. (Added Author).

Summary:

After something bad happens, a child has trouble connecting with those around him. His loved ones try to reach out and talk to him, but he only feels like running away. So, from his room, he picks up a shovel and digs a tunnel deep down and out into the backyard. Outside in the dark, nobody knows where he is. He could just disappear. But, seeing his mom in the window, his newfound distance offers him enough space to see the connection he needs. Something shifts inside him and he decides to return home. As he heads back through the tunnel, he travels less urgently. This time, the walls are familiar and the bugs know him. He lingers to greet them and smell the soil, eventually climbing back up into his square but cozy room. He covers up the hole to the tunnel and climbs into bed, just in time for the door to crack open and his mom to peak in. This time, when she hugs him, he doesn't feel like running away, but hugs her back tightly. When she notices a small twig in his hair and he explains that he made a tunnel out of there, she responds with understanding and warmth, only saying: "You came back."

Record details

  • ISBN: 1771474270
  • ISBN: 9781771474276
  • Physical Description: 1 volume (unpaged) : colour illustrations
  • Publisher: Toronto, Ontario : Owlkids Books, 2022.

Content descriptions

Immediate Source of Acquisition Note:
LSC 19.95
Subject: Interpersonal relations > Juvenile fiction.
Mothers > Juvenile fiction.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Lakeshore Branch GRO JP Howde 31681020174546 PICTURE Available -

  • Baker & Taylor
    After a traumatic event, a young boy feels disconnected from those around him as he processes his feelings and slowly moves towards healing and familial connection.
  • Perseus Publishing

    A spare, powerful story about taking space to process difficult feelings

    After something bad happens, a boy feels sad and gray. Mom and Aunt Cheryl try to talk about it, but he feels like running away. So he picks up a shovel and starts digging a tunnel from his room, deep down and into the backyard. Out there, far from the lights of the house, it’s dark enough that he could disappear. But the quiet distance also gives him the space he needs to see his family’s love and start returning home.

    As he heads back, the journey upward is different. He notices familiar details and tunes into his senses. The tunnel isn’t so scary this time. The boy emerges into his room just as Mom peeks in. When she notices a twig in his hair, he is ready to talk about the tunnel and finds warmth in her gentle acknowledgment: “You came back.”

    Quiet, emotionally resonant text is paired with grayscale drawings accented with red in this thoughtfully layered exploration of coping with tough emotions, and taking time and space to heal.


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