There Was a Hole

Lily had a hole in her heart. She could tell something was missing, but she wasn’t sure what it was. Lily became frustrated when her efforts came up short, and eventually, she stopped trying to fix it. She felt disconnected from others and stopped participating in the activities she loved. The author remains vague and does not mention why Lily is feeling this way. The open-ended nature of this story could be a great opportunity for adults to start a conversation about mental health issues and coping strategies with children. However, the subtle nature of the story may cause children to have questions about the causes of these feelings.

One of Lily’s peers expresses that he has a hole in his heart as well and tells her to make patches to cover her hole. She begins to do more activities that slowly fill the hole in her heart. This metaphor is a beautiful representation of how sadness doesn’t go away immediately, but takes time and hard work to slowly get better. Although this visual representation is understandable to adults, it may be difficult for kids under the age of seven to comprehend—adults should be prepared to speak openly about mental health issues.