A Hole Is to Dig (edition 1989)

An irresistible book! I know it is irresistible because I left it on the dining room table and my roommate and her mother (a former kindergarten teacher) picked it up and read it in my absence. This "first book of first definitions" is centered around the idea of a hole, and I wouldn't be surprised if kids wanted to go outside and dig one after reading it. However, all the "definitions" are sweet, funny, and even profound. The illustrations by the late Maruice Sendak are amazing and each worth studying in detail. A must-read for the younger children; I would read it to kids ages 2-6. ( )

Comical throughout, this endearing book includes definitions of household objects, body parts, objects in nature, etc. from a child's point of view.

A kids' - eye view of the world, where if you ask a child what something is for you get a realistic answer (rugs are so dogs can have napkins! Mashed potatoes are so everyone gets enough!). All sorts of children (and a few pets) are joyously engaged in imaginative play in Sendak's illustrations. ( )

Cute text and pictures, but more from a nostalgic angle than from a holds-my-baby's-interest angle. ( )

Children's definitions of what things are for, accompanied by black and white drawings by Maurice Sendak. A classic. "Mashed potatoes are to give everybody enough... A face is so you can make faces... A face is something to have on the front of your head... Dogs are to kiss people..." ( )