Hello, friends! Today’s book is the hilariously strange Sam & Dave Dig A Hole, written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen, a silly and surreal story about two boys and their quest to find something spectacular.

On Monday, Sam and Dave (with trusty pet dog in tow) decide to dig a hole. They agree to stop when they find something truly spectacular, but no matter which direction they dig in, they just can’t seem to find anything worth digging up. Even splitting up doesn’t help, and the hole only gets deeper and deeper… until suddenly, they are falling, falling, falling. They land safely and take a look around, and find themselves in their yard once again – with a few differences.

This one was so strange, so clever, and so unexpected, and we absolutely loved it. The humor is outstanding, a mix between visual gags that will have kids both frustrated and amused (each time Sam and Dave change direction in their digging, it’s JUST shy of uncovering larger and larger treasures) and the dry, droll wit that both Klassen and Barnett are masters of. The art fits perfectly with this, with stone-faced protagonists emoting through their eyes and a phenomenal use of white space, and wonderfully sneaky visual clues that the ending is much darker and stranger than it appears. The length is perfect, and JJ and I both loved it. We can highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a bit of humor, a bit of wonder, and a bit of weird. Baby Bookworm approved!