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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole Hardcover – Picture Book, October 14, 2014

by Mac Barnett (Author), Jon Klassen (Illustrator)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,519 ratings
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A 2015 Caldecott Honor Book

With perfect pacing, the multi-award-winning, New York Times best-selling team of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen dig down for a deadpan tale full of visual humor.

Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they keep digging. And they find . . . nothing. Yet the day turns out to be pretty spectacular after all. Attentive readers will be rewarded with a rare treasure in this witty story of looking for the extraordinary — and finding it in a manner you’d never expect.
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    3 - 6 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    40 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  5. Lexile measure
    450L
  6. Dimensions
    8.38 x 0.41 x 10.94 inches
  7. Publisher
    Candlewick
  8. Publication date
    October 14, 2014
  9. ISBN-10
    0763662291
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0763662295
  11. See all details
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From the Publisher

funny; adventure; digging; buried treasure; brothers; mission; imagination
funny; adventure; digging; buried treasure; brothers; mission; imagination
shape island; shapes; apple tv; funny; running away; home; funny friendship; making art; perspective; creativity; imagination; kindness shapes; imagination; friendship; funny; creativity; kindness
Triangle Square Circle
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4.7 out of 5 stars
1,083
4.8 out of 5 stars
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Price $9.29 $9.97 $6.99
Collect the whole series — now a TV show! Meet Triangle. He is going to play a sneaky trick on his friend, Square. Or so Triangle thinks… Read the first in the hilarious trilogy that will make readers wonder just who they can trust! Square spends every day taking blocks from a pile below the ground to a pile above the ground. Circle thinks Square is an artistic genius. But is he really? A story about keeping your eyes—and mind—open to wonder. This book is about Circle and a rule that she makes, and how she has to rescue Triangle when he breaks that rule. Read the third and final chapter of the hilariously clever shapes trilogy!
funny; siblings; adventure; buried treasure; digging; imagination funny; fable; animals; creativity; fear; cooperation; working together kids halloween books; skull; friendship; spooky; haunted; adventure; kindness; kids winter books
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse The Skull
Customer Reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
1,519
4.8 out of 5 stars
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4.7 out of 5 stars
510
Price $12.00 $8.99 $13.31
And even more from these incredible creators A 2015 Caldecott Honor Book! Sam and Dave are on a mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they find... nothing. Yet they discover something extraordinary in a way you wouldn’t expect! When a poor mouse is swallowed by a wolf, he quickly learns he is not alone: a duck has already set up digs, and he’s got it figured out! Turns out it’s pretty nice in there, until a hunter shows up... A #1 New York Times bestseller and multi award-winning title! A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and found a safe haven in an abandoned house. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too. Can she save them both?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1—The winning picture book team that created Extra Yarn (HarperCollins, 2012) is back together in this understated, humorous, and charmingly perplexing tale. Sam and Dave, who are either identical twin boys or friends who look astonishingly alike and share a sartorial sensibility, set out to dig a hole in the hopes of finding "something spectacular." With shovels in hand, the boys (with an eager terrier looking on) begin to tunnel into the soil, but they just can't seem to find anything of interest. What works spectacularly is the clever play between words and pictures. As in Klassen's This Is Not My Hat (Candlewick, 2012), readers are in on a joke to which the characters are oblivious. Namely, that each time the boys change direction, they narrowly miss discovering increasingly enormous jewels hidden in the earth. The book progresses with each verso showing the boys' progress, while the recto features simple text, mostly dialogue between the practical but unlucky explorers. About halfway through, a spread reveals a diamond so large it can barely be contained on the page; it dwarfs the two boys and their trusty canine companion—but all for naught, since they decide to dig in a different direction. Exhausted and covered from head to toe in dirt, Sam and Dave decide to take a rest. Klassen's use of muted earth tones and uncomplicated compositions is paired well with Barnett's deadpan humor. As they nap in their hole, the dog continues to dig…until suddenly the trio is falling; they soon land in a place that looks an awful lot like home. Small details reveal that this house and its inhabitants are ever so slightly changed. Are they dreaming? On the other side of the world? In a different dimension? Readers will have to puzzle that one out for themselves.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal

Review

A clever second collaboration between Barnett and Klassen... The prose is deadpan; the joke’s all in Klassen’s winsomely smudgy illustrations.
—New York Times Book Review

Barnett’s well-chosen words and plentiful white space support readers. Klassen’s cross-section illustrations give readers a mole’s-eye view of the underground proceedings, extending the spare text with visual humor.As in his previous books, Klassen shows an uncanny knack for conveying meaning with the subtlest of eye movements. How fitting that the wordless final spread features a knowing look between the dog and a cat familiar to Klassen fans; all that’s missing from the trippy conclusion is the theme music from The Twilight Zone. Mind-blowing in the best possible way.
—Horn Book (starred review)

When Sam and Dave dig a hole, readers get "something spectacular." The boys, on the other hand, do not. Their quest to find the spectacular brings them painfully and humorously close to buried jewels as they spade their way into the ground, accompanied by an intrepid canine companion. ... Poor Sam and Dave. Lucky readers.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Barnett’s comic voice is at its driest as he recounts that quintessential American childhood activity—the digging of the giant hole. ... Cross-sections of earth show them further and further down, and comic tension erupts as readers see gigantic diamonds buried at intervals underground while Sam and Dave tunnel on, missing every one... They land in their own backyard again—or do they? Barnett and Klassen dangle the prospect of fantastic subterranean treasure before readers, but leave them with an even greater reward: a tantalizingly creepy and open-ended conclusion.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The deliberately poker-faced, almost banal flatness of the text isn’t the joke here but the straight man to the ironic humor of the art (the boys’ elaborate subterranean efforts carefully lead them just past several increasingly huge diamonds). ... Engaging as well as stylish. Kids will enjoy playing “spot the differences” once they figure out the joke... Young excavators will appreciate this surreal modernization of the old notion of digging all the way to China.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

An understated, humorous, and charmingly perplexing tale. ... What works spectacularly is the clever play between words and pictures. As in Klassen’s "This Is Not My Hat," readers are in on a joke to which the characters are oblivious. Namely, that each time the boys change direction, they narrowly miss discovering increasingly enormous jewels hidden in the earth. .. Klassen’s use of muted earth tones and uncomplicated compositions is paired well with Barnett’s deadpan humor.
—School Library Journal

Klassen’s pebbly, earth-toned, colored-pencil and digital illustrations of Sam and Dave’s dig are exaggerated to comic effect, especially when coupled with Barnett’s dry, simple text. Subtle visual clues (the final absence of dirt on Sam’s and Dave’s clothes; a closing house that’s just slightly different from the opening one) suggest there’s more to the story than meets the eye, and canny little ones will likely be delighted by the beguiling ending.
—Booklist

A funny, deadpan adventure... This is an exercise in suspending disbelief, which children will gladly undertake. ... A topsy-turvy treasure-seeking adventure.
—Shelf Awareness

Mr. Barnett’s economical text works in droll counterpoint with illustrations that become subtly surreal. Soon the hole is so deep that the boys and the dog begin to plummet, only to land back in the soft dirt where they started. Or do they? Tiny clues suggest otherwise in this clever and faintly disconcerting adventure.
—Wall Street Journal

Part wry comedy of errors, part Twilight Zone, this book feels timeless in that it could have been from 50 years ago, or from 50 years in the future (and possibly from another dimension).
—Huffington Post

Part wry comedy of errors, part Twilight Zone, if you're digging through your shelves for something spectacular, look no further.
—Huffington Post, Best Picture Books of 2014

A wryly subtle, unexpectedly funny picture book about two brothers in search of something extraordinary. ... As they dig deeper and deeper (and get dirtier and dirtier), readers will delight in spotting the spectacular items that lie just outside their shovels’ reach. Barnett’s deadpan text and Klassen’s equally restrained illustrations (the dog’s facial expressions alone are priceless) combine to create a picture book rich in dramatic irony and understated hilarity. The limited color palette (heavy on the earth tones, of course), imaginative text and surprising ending combine to create a collaboration that is itself nothing short of spectacular.
—BookPage

A visually appealing underground adventure... Kids will love to read, reread and just look at this book.
—PBS Parents

Is any childhood truly complete without at least one shovel-wielding foray into shoulder-deep dirt? ... A carefully choreographed interplay between Mac Barnett’s straight-faced text (“So they kept digging”) and Caldecott-winner Jon Klassen’s stylized illustrations.
—The Washington Post

The beauty of this story is that it articulates something kids seem to intuitively know, but can't really explain with language. The way that Klassen's illustrations tel as much of the story as Barnett's words is absolutely brilliant.
—Globe + Mail

With Barnett's clever prose and Jon Klassen's sly illustrations, this book is one of the best of the year.
—East Bay Express

Entertaining, funny and interesting... This picture-driven book engages the imagination with deadpan humor and dry wit.
—Minnesota Parent

Marvelous. ... Jon Klassen's art, created digitally in colored pencil, adds witty and clever layers to a humorous story about friendship, strategic thinking and determination.
—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Charming... with droll illustrations.
—The Buffalo News

This book is deadpan and dead-awesome.
—BuzzFeed

A masterwork in humor, subtlety, and surprise, Sam & Dave Dig a Hole will leave readers digging for the truth.
—100 Scope Notes (SLJ blog)

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick; Illustrated edition (October 14, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 40 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0763662291
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0763662295
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 6 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 450L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.38 x 0.41 x 10.94 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,519 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Mac Barnett

    Mac Barnett

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    Mac Barnett is a New York Times-bestselling author whose books for children have sold more than one million copies in the United States and have been translated into over 30 languages. His picture books include two Caldecott-Honor-winning collaborations with Jon Klassen: Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, which also won the E.B White Read-Aloud Award, and Extra Yarn, which won both the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award. Leo: A Ghost Story, illustrated by Christian Robinson, and The Skunk, illustrated by Patrick McDonnell, were named two of the Ten Best Illustrated Books of 2015 by The New York Times. Mac's novels include the Brixton Brothers series of mystery novels The Terrible Two series. He lives in Oakland, California.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Jon Klassen

    Jon Klassen

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Jon Klassen is a Canadian-born author/illustrator. He has written and illustrated three picture books of his own and illustrated many other author’s texts. His own books are called I Want My Hat Back, This Is Not My Hat and We Found A Hat. Highlights of his illustrated books are Sam & Dave Dig A Hole by Mac Barnett, The Dark by Lemony Snicket, and his latest is The Wolf, The Duck & The Mouse also by Mac Barnett. His books have won a Caldecott medal and two Caldecott honors and other international awards.

    He lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife and son.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,519 global ratings
A nice book that might need some explaining
5 Stars
A nice book that might need some explaining
Maybe better for an older child. My daughter is 2 and I had to explain a little bit about what was happening around the words the book provided. We took this as a way to “dig deeper” and take notice of what was happening on the page instead of just what the book said. It’s a cute story, and a good way to talk about having fun in a simple way.
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Top reviews from the United States

Gale
5.0 out of 5 stars Cute Book
Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2024
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Cute story and love the artwork
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jerry salam a
5.0 out of 5 stars Great quick read
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2023
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I love that this book is silly and fun, and doesn't take long to read.
One person found this helpful
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Fiddling hobbit
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining as always
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2022
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Purchased for my 8 yo brother after reading it in a bookstore. Barnett and Klassen make a wonderful pair, with lively pictures and understated humor. I have been collecting as many of their works as I can find for myself as well as for my younger relatives!
6 people found this helpful
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Katelin
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect impromptu lesson/activity book for teachers and substitutes...
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2016
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As a substitute teacher, I'm always looking for interesting books to read to the students, especially anything that makes them think or that I can turn into a lesson. This book has several useful lessons in it - one being, that whenever you feel like giving up, keep going! You never know when something great is just around the corner...and if you give up too soon, you may miss it! Sam and Dave prove this every time they think their digging isn't leading anywhere and they decide to dig in another direction. If they had just kept digging a little bit longer, they'd have found what they were looking for! The second lesson is, if something isn't working, change it up! There is more than one way to solve a problem or reach a goal. When digging straight down doesn't lead anywhere, Sam and Dave decide to dig sideways.

The scenery in this book also lends to an interesting conversation at the end. Did the students notice the difference between the house and surroundings on the first page versus the last? And what happened to Sam and Dave in the end? Where are they now? It appears that Sam and Dave are somewhere else...and that's a perfect opportunity for students to write a story about where they think Sam and Dave ended up. Talk about an awesome time-killer! This could fill up at LEAST an hour if you needed it to...plus, the kids learn some valuable lessons!

Highly recommend!
49 people found this helpful
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L. Weisman
4.0 out of 5 stars Cute story
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2023
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Love the story and illustrations. I thought the book wasn’t well made. It was a gift and I almost returned it for that reason.
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lakerunner2012
5.0 out of 5 stars Really loved this story
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2023
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Bought this based on others reviews. It will become a classic in our home
One person found this helpful
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Helen
5.0 out of 5 stars Felt like real life to my adult mind (but my daughter loved it too!)
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2016
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Ok, I loved this book but then I think it is hard to go wrong with the genius of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. I thought the book was so clever. My daughter and I greatly enjoyed reading this. It felt like real life to my adult mind. The boys were so close so many times. They kept missing the clues from their dog which were plain if they had only been paying attention. If only they had kept going a little farther they would have reached spectacular. The more they worked it seemed the greater their potential spectacular although each time they barely missed it. You feel at the end that maybe they got nothing out of their hardwork and then suddenly you realize that in fact everything is subtly changed so perhaps something spectacular did happen just not what they were expecting. I love that! Barnett and Klassen see life in such an interesting way. You can't help but wish they lived in your neighborhood!
5 people found this helpful
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Heidi Grange
5.0 out of 5 stars A winner all the way around!
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2014
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One thing you can always trust in a Mac Barnett book is the unexpected. When Sam and Dave set out to dig a hole seeking something spectacular they come close to discovering something fantastic. Jon Klassen really adds a lot to the story here showing just how many times Sam and Dave barely miss what they seem to be seeking. The combination here between the understated text and the illustrations works perfectly, demonstrating just what makes picture books so great. And just like all the other Barnett books this one has a strange twist at the end that should make for some interesting discussions with young readers. When sharing this one it would be interesting to ask young readers their ideas on exactly what they think happened at the end and if they notice the clues. The open ending leaves the reader free to use his/her imagination to explain what happened. A winner of a book from two heavyweights in the children's literature arena.
8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Gsp
5.0 out of 5 stars Valor de la amistad y el compromiso. Gran imaginacion
Reviewed in Spain on September 5, 2022
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Esta en inglés comprensible, los dibujos son bonitos y da pie a imaginar otras historias
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Christian Gomez
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Author and Illustrator
Reviewed in Mexico on January 17, 2018
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It's a really lovely book. Mac Barnett and Jan Klassen have yet to disappoint me. Pay careful attention to the illustrations or you just might miss something spectacular.
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Francesca A.
5.0 out of 5 stars il mio libro preferito
Reviewed in Italy on March 3, 2017
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Credo di poter affermare con sicurezza che questo è il mio libro preferito. Storia bellissima, Klessen poi è sempre insuperabile, sto facendo raccolta di tutti i suoi libri.
Consiglio molto ai genitori di comprare questo libro per i loro bambini, maschi o femmine è indifferente.
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Laurel Glanfield
5.0 out of 5 stars this seems to be the most consistent favourite! Perhaps for the adults who are reading it ...
Reviewed in Canada on August 1, 2015
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I bought this book based on recommendations/ratings I had read online and in newspapers, for my granddaughter, age 2.5. Of the many books I have added to her library, this seems to be the most consistent favourite! Perhaps for the adults who are reading it out loud, its hard to understand how such a simple book can be so fascinating...but for a young creative mind, maybe its the adventure of the digging, the simple concepts, no explanations really...maybe its that the book inspires imagination!? Its a great book! I would not have guessed the amount of satisfaction this has brought my granddaughter, who spends a LOT of time in books, every day.
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars My kids and I deeply recommend it! we had lots of fun reading this ...
Reviewed in India on January 19, 2016
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Hilarious! My kids and I deeply recommend it! we had lots of fun reading this book!
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