It's hard to lose someone you love.Bertle the turtle and Hertle Hare are the best of friends; though different, they support each other no matter what. Then, one day, Bertle finds that he's alone except for a dark, Hertle-shaped shadow: "a hole in the air where a hare ought to be." Bertle looks everywhere, but he cannot find any sign of Hertle. He yells at the dark hole, but it doesn't respond. Then he begs the hole to bring Hertle back; he offers toys and promises to be on his best behavior, to no avail. Bertle sits by the riverbank where the two friends used to go and cries. Gerda, a kind older bear, comes along and hugs Bertle, letting him express his grief. When Bertle asks why Hertle had to go, Gerda responds that though sometimes those we love must leave us, we can fill the hole that's left behind with memories of the good times. As Bertle shares his memories, the hare-shaped hole fills with colors and stars. Depicting several stages of grief, this sweet book is a tender portrayal of a character grappling with loss. The narrative is open-ended-Hertle is just "gone" one day-so readers in many situations will be able to relate. The steady, rhyming text works well with the painterly, roughly textured illustrations, which balance out the sad subject matter with a bright palette.Moving. (Picture book. 3-7)

PreS-Gr 3— Dealing with loss is hard. Trying to explain it to young children who can only think concretely is very difficult. This sweetly tender book attempts to do so in a way that children will be able to understand, but is engaging enough that it can also offer older readers opportunities to talk about their grief. Hertle the rabbit and Bertle the turtle are best friends. They are very different, but they each help the other and appreciate each other's differences as well as their similarities. One day, Hertle disappears. There is no explanation for why Hertle is gone, and Bertle feels like there is a big hole where Hertle used to be. At first, Bertle is angry, and begs and bargains; then Bertle is sad. Gerda the bear finds Bertle weeping and, after allowing time for sad feelings, suggests filling up the hole with happy memories of Hertle, which helps. The depiction of the Hertle-shaped hole being filled with bright colors and stars will help readers understand that loss doesn't always have to mean just pain. Warmly colored artwork is a perfect complement to the story. VERDICT Every library needs titles to pull down and hand over in a sad moment, and this one should be one of them.— Debbie Tanner