Bear-Shaped Hole

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3 4 5 year old
A01=John Dougherty
A12=Thomas Docherty
anger
anniversary
Author_John Dougherty
Author_Thomas Docherty
badger
bear
bereavement
bereavement support
best friend
bird
blackbird
butterfly
campfire
Category=YBCS
Category=YFP
Category=YXG
childhood
childrens book
childrens grief
comfort
commemorate
companionship
confusion
coping
coping with loss
counselling
death
emotion
emotional support
emotions
empathy
eq_activity-picture-books
eq_baby-toddler-early-learning
eq_bestseller
eq_childrens
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_personal-social-topics
eq_teenage-young-adult
family loss
flower
forest
fox
friendship
funeral
grief
hare
heartbreak
hedgehog
honesty
illness
kindness
lifetime
loss
lost toy
love
memoral
memory
mental health
mouse
moving schools
nostalgia
pet loss
picture book
play
preparation
preschool kindergarten nursery
rabbit
remember
sadness
sensitive storytelling
sharing
sickness
squirrel
storybook
support
sympathy
talking therapy
terminal
tree
turtle
woodland

Product details

  • ISBN 9780711296602
  • Weight: 350g
  • Dimensions: 235 x 276mm
  • Publication Date: 08 May 2025
  • Publisher: Quarto Publishing PLC
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Paperback
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A beautiful companion title to the critically acclaimed The Hare-Shaped Hole, The Bear-Shaped Hole is a profound, heart-warming story that helps children understand and prepare for loss. 

Gerda and Orlo are best bear friends. When Gerda was there, Orlo always had time for a game or a story, a joke or a rhyme. He was never too busy to listen, to talk, to help, to share, or to go for a walk.

But slowly, something starts to change. Orlo reveals he is ill, and as he softly explains to Gerda, he is not going to get better. Gerda is overwhelmed by emotions she cannot quite explain, but Orlo gently helps her prepare, so they can spend their time together making memories that will last a lifetime. When the time comes, Gerda can fill the Bear-Shaped hole in her life with the special moments she shared with Orlo.

This brand new picture book is the latest powerful and moving tale from John Dougherty and Thomas Docherty, the award-winning creators of The Hare-Shaped Hole. This sensitively written and beautifully illustrated story explores the process of preparing for loss as well as the experience of loss itself. 

The Bear-Shaped Hole is a gentle, heartfelt tale that helps children navigate and understand the complex emotions associated with loss. Perfect for parents looking for a way to address sensitive topics, it covers a range of themes to support meaningful conversations. 

Author and poet John Dougherty has been writing children’s books for over twenty years. His work ranges quite literally from the sublime to the ridiculous, including as it does the hilarious and surreal Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face series and There’s a Pig Up My Nose, and the beautiful and multi-award winning The Hare-Shaped Hole. His books have been translated into more than 25 languages worldwide. 

A former teacher, John was one of the first Patrons of Reading in the UK and is a passionate advocate for both public libraries and the importance of reading for pleasure. Born in Northern Ireland, he now lives in Gloucestershire with his wife Jennie.

Thomas Docherty is an author and illustrator of children's books, who is based in Swansea. His first picture book, The Little Boat was shortlisted for the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal, and he has also worked on several books with his wife Helen Docherty, including The Snatchabook, The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight and Pirate Nell’s Tale To Tell. His books have been sold around the world and have been translated into more than 25 languages.

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