Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett

This week with my younger classes we read Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett.  The story is about two boys who decide to dig a hole and they won't stop digging until they find something spectacular.  They dig up and down and side to side but never seem to find anything spectacular.  They boys take a short nap in their hole but the dog keeps on digging while they rest.  What happens next is truly spectacular.

The first class I read this with was a kindergarten class and I thought that I might have to explain it a bit to them.  Wrong.  They explained it to me.  I didn't notice that the first page has an apple tree and the last page has a pear tree.  When they wake from their nap they aren't in the same spot.  There's actually quite a few differences between the first and last pages.  

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole is a book of few words and really quite simple but the illustrations by Jon Klassen certainly make the story as good as it is.

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

This is Not My Hat is a great story that really got the children laughing.  The story is about a small fish that steals a hat from a big fish while he is sleeping.  You need to pay attention to the pictures to pick up on what's going on.  I love watching the kids faces as they realise what is happening.  The book has a great ending too that has children using their imagination on what has just happened.  We had lots of discussion this week on what could possibly have happened.