The Rough Patch

Brian Lies
4.41
3,049 ratings 848 reviews
Evan and his dog do everything together, from eating ice cream to caring for their award-winning garden, which grows big and beautiful. One day the unthinkable happens: Evan’s dog dies. Heartbroken, Evan destroys the garden and everything in it. The ground becomes overgrown with prickles and thorns, and Evan embraces the chaos. But beauty grows in the darkest of places, and when a twisting vine turns into an immense pumpkin, Evan is drawn out of his misery and back to the county fair, where friendships—old and new—await.
Genres: Picture BooksDeathGriefAnimalsChildrensFriendshipFictionDogsGardeningEmotion
40 Pages

Community Reviews:

5 star
1717 (56%)
4 star
981 (32%)
3 star
270 (9%)
2 star
61 (2%)
1 star
20 (1%)

Readers also enjoyed

Other books by Brian Lies

Lists with this book

Drawn Together
Julián Is a Mermaid
Dreamers
2019 Mock Caldecott
83 books150 voters
Madeline
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
Blueberries for Sal
Caldecott Honor Books
289 books233 voters
Miss Rumphius
The Curious Garden
The Gardener
Best Picture Books About Gardens
381 books159 voters
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages
Where Did My Sweet Grandma Go?: A Preschooler's Guide to Losing a Loved One
The Great Big Ark in the Sky
Picture Books about Death and Loss
128 books52 voters