Sam & Dave Dig a Hole

Sam and Dave are digging for something spectacular and get so close to treasure that they keep deciding to change directions right when they are about to find it. I love this because, as a reader, you can see the treasure and how close Sam and Dave get.

The ending on this one is so fascinating because it’s open-ended, and that’s especially rare for a picture book. It's also a great conversation starter. 

All a kid needs for an adventure is a tool and the tool Sam and Dave have is a shovel.

I personally spent multiple recesses trying to dig a hole to the other side of the world or underground cave so this took me right back to that time. The words and pictures are in perfect balance with each other and each page turn reveals new and fun surprises, all the way to the very end!

This is a book that celebrates kids being kids and highlights the optimism and perseverance they have. Barnett and Klassen are probably also my… show more.

This is such a fun book. Between Mac's clever writing and Jon's perfect illustrations I seem to always feel the same anticipation I did on the very first read. Sam and Dave keep digging deeper and deeper, nearly revealing incredible things along the way. It's such a compelling and entertaining story to read aloud to your kids as you turn the pages and dig alongside the persistent Sam and Dave and their dog.

I love this book because it takes something so universal (two kids deciding to dig a hole in order to look for “something spectacular”) and escalates it to the point of absurdity. 

This book also does an incredible job of having the pictures tell a different story than the text, which is something that only picture books can do! Sam and Dave are constantly missing things that are super obvious to the reader (and the dog!), which creates lots of opportunities for laughs. My kids love this book, and I love reading it to them.