Sam & Dave Dig a Hole - Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen are already on my list of children's literature favourites (I'm going with the Canadian spellings here, in honour of Jon!), and this book only serves to increase my love of their collaborative dynamic (i.e. Extra Yarn, the gorgeous 2013 Caldecott Honor book!).

 Like so much of Klassen's work, Sam & Dave relies on the use of a delicately balanced colour palette composed of tans, browns, and other neutral and warm hues. Colours such as peach and pink serve to draw the reader's attention to various components on each page that move the story forward. The clothing colours, as well, allow readers to keep Sam and Dave apart throughout. 

 As Sam and Dave dig they come close to finding a number of large gems, though each time they are near, they decide to change course for various reasons (Barnett's crisp prose provide wonderfully ironic counterpoints to Klassen's imagery.) Each time they change direction, however, the dog serves as the eyes of the reader, pointing in the direction of the treasures even while Sam and Dave keep discussing the pros and cons of going in various directions in order to come across something spectacular.

The dog's expressions and seeming exasperation at Sam and Dave's ignorance of the treasures they keep missing by mere inches at times will entertain young readers on each page. And Barnett's simple but precise dialogues serve to provide humour and irony throughout the picturebook. And finally, even at the end, the duo can't help but remain ignorant of the changes around them as they go on a new mission for "chocolate milk and animal cookies."

 Even the end of the book will bring about a sense of wonder and curiosity to those who pay close attention (I'm not spoiling anything, but pay close attention to the tree in their yard on both ends of the journey!)

 It is no wonder that these two talented individuals keep winning awards and critical acclaim, when they churn out books like this! While simple at first glance, there are always multiple levels at play in their works, all of which deserve attention and appreciation. Sam & Dave Dig a Hole is a picturebook that will be sure to bring enjoyment and laughter to adult and child audiences alike.

 Highly Recommended

 (Note: This review is from an Advance Reading Copy - Out October 14, 2014)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Living - Matt De La Peña

Image
The Living  recently received an Honor from the Pura Belpré committee. The award recognizes of a work which best portrays the Latino cultural experience in a work of literature for children or youth. As I was at the awards announcements, and having known people who served on the committee in the past, I was intrigued. I had read the winning title and the other honor titles, and was impressed with the choices. So here's my review of The Living : The novel begins with Shy, a young guy working for a snazzy cruise line, offering water to people on the Lido Deck of the ship to combat the heat. Everything is going pretty well until an older gentleman comes out and starts spouting of weird, disconcerting phrases: "You have seen the face of evil."Shy doesn't quite know what to think, so he moves on to a couple of ladies on the other side of the deck. Just as he's handing them their water bottles, he sees movement out of the corner of his eye and realizes the old guy h...
Read more

The Music of What Happens - Bill Konigsberg

Image
Max: Chill. Sports. Video games. Gay and not a big deal, not to him, not to his mom, not to his buddies. And a secret: An encounter with an older kid that makes it hard to breathe, one that he doesn't want to think about, ever. Jordan: The opposite of chill. Poetry. His "wives" and the Chandler Mall. Never been kissed and searching for Mr. Right, who probably won't like him anyway. And a secret: A spiraling out of control mother, and the knowledge that he's the only one who can keep the family from falling apart. Over the course of one summer, two boys will have to face their biggest fears and decide what they're willing to risk -- to get the thing they want the most. This is a phenomenal book, in my humble opinion. There aren't too many books dealing with male sexual abuse, particularly in YA. Sex and sexuality are messy parts of young adulthood, but what this book does really well is discuss consent and the ways in which physical cues can be misinte...
Read more

Girls Like Us - Gail Giles

Image
I have now gone out and made sure that I have all of the books longlisted for the National Book Award. I read and reviewed a number of these previously, so now I have five left to read and review. This is one of those five (but would I expect anything less from the fabulous team at Candlewick?) Girls Like Us  is a unique novel in a number of respects, most notably in the fact that both protagonists are identified (and self-identified) as mentally disabled in some way. Biddy has a learning disability that she was born with, while Quincy is a young girl who is disabled due to the fact that her mother's boyfriend hit her in the head with a brick, disfiguring her and damaging her brain. Once the two girls graduate from school, they move into a house together, becoming caregivers for both each other and an older woman, Elizabeth. The two must rely on each other for comfort, knowledge, and emotional strength, and Elizabeth manages to help them along the way. While I had moments of wo...
Read more