A Hole Is to Dig: A First Book of First Definitions

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.

This book contains "definitions" of words based on the author's conversations with kindergartners. You can very easily see how these conversations veered into different word associations (as conversations with very young children often do). For example, "Hands are to make things. Hands are to eat with. A tablespoon is to eat a table with." It's a cute concept but beyond a quick 'aw, that's sweet' response from adults, I don't see a ton of value in this title. I would be hesitant to use it with young children as they might not get the conceit and would walk around with incorrect definitions in their heads. The black-and-white illustrations by Sendak are charming, which is a plus.

I'm sure I read this as a child, but I think I enjoyed it even more this time.
Mud is to jump in and slide in and yell doodledoodledoo."
"A dream is to look at the night and see things."
The book itself is a nice small-format cozy, just right for a child's small hands, perfect to be his own treasure to carry around and dip into often and again.

I want to get it for my own permanent collection, along with the sequel (!) [b:Open House for Butterflies|22765|Open House for Butterflies|Ruth Krauss|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386923640s/22765.jpg|23772]."

Original illustrated paper-covered boards with cloth spine; pictorial endpapers. Illustrated throughout in red-brown line drawings by Maurice Sendak.

Fantastic children’s book and the first collaboration between Ruth Krauss and Maurice Sendak. A Hole Is to Dig has a child-centered approach to language and meaning, pairing Krauss’s playful, observational text with some of the cutest illustration by Sendak you will see anywhere. Some say the book is now recognized as pivotal in the evolution of the modern picture book.

In my opinion, A Hole Is To Dig is a fantastic children’s book for young children who are just beginning to read. The first reason why I like this book is because each phrase or sentence that you read throughout the book teaches the reader. It defines why you have certain things and what they are used for. For example, “a hand is to hold up when you want your turn,” and “Toes are to dance on. Eyebrows are to go over your eyes.” These cute little phrases make it easy for children to understand why they have such things. Second, I love that the pictures tell the exact story that the words do, and are very well drawn all across the pages. What I mean by telling the story is that if you were to not read the text on the pages you show more would still be able to understand what is going on. On one page it states “a whistle is to make people jump,” and in the picture shown above it, a little boy and girl are blowing their whistles as two other children are jumping in the air. There are pictures that go with everything that is defined throughout the story. Lastly, I liked this book because of the way the text is formatted throughout the pages. Rather than having the text in paragraph form on each page, they are scattered all around the pages. Some are indented to the left with a photo to the right of it, while some are right in the center with the picture above it. The main idea that I got from this book was to help teach students the simplest definitions. On the cover of the book it reads “a first book of first definitions.” show less

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.

This is an informal informational book. It is a book about child projected definitions for hands, buttons, holes, cats, and numerous other things.
I thought it was a sweet book and one children could easily relate to. It lends itself nicely to patterns and the definition of definitions, sort of speak. Great as a starting point for writing assignments about informational pieces or for students who struggle with the concept of a definition.