I've already forgotten the details about this book, just that I didn't really care about it. There wasn't anything bad, it just wasn't memorable or interesting.

This book would be a good addition for early elementary students who are learning about cause and effect, problem solving, or how to make predictions while using the illustrations for support. The illustrations can be both simple and complicated which could attract different levels of readers.

The Hole story follows a boy who comes upon a hole on the ground and struggles to find what to do with it. I enjoyed the oddity of the story as well as the bright visuals of the illustrations. I loved that it showed how even when most people find something to be a burden or useless, there may still be others who find it to be a treasure.

I thought I knew what was coming with this book. The set-up - a boy finds a hole and sets out looking for a place for it to belong - suggests a particular direction. We expect him to encounter a few places where a hole is a bad thing but then to happen upon a place where holes are necessary. But that's not what happens here. The visuals are strong and some of the scenarios are clever but I question the way it resolves.

Young Charlie finds a hole on the ground. At first he excited to have his very own hole, but he soon discovers that a hole can be quite inconvenient. Can he find it a new home?

The wordplay in this story was a lot of fun, and kids will get a giggle imagining all the places where a hole might not be a great thing to have. That said, when the story gets to the "punchline" it kind of drops the ball. There is not nearly as much focus on where a hole can be a good thing, and the hole is called no good without that ever being explicitly challenged. I would have liked the message that there can be a place and use for everyone to have been underscored more firmly for young readers.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

The Hole Story is a children’s story written and illustrated by Kelly Canby.

Summary: Charlie finds a hole, but he soon finds out that a hole can cause a whole lot of problems. Unable to find anyone else who wants the hole, he eventually leaves it behind…..just where it needed to be all along.

My Thoughts: This book is truly delightful. The story line is unique and fun. The illustrations use just the right amount of color and detail to enhance the story, and I loved the clever title and the shop names in the background-so, so good!

This is a great book, and I really enjoyed it. This would make a wonderful present for any small child in your life, and I have already purchased a hard copy for my family, as well as a copy for my nephew!

I would like to thank Star Bright Books for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

Absolutely adored this book! Kelly Canby is fantastically clever in this story of a boy who finds a hole. From the illustrations to the well-thought out use of characters, this book is WONDERFUL for a moral discussion in the classroom or with your child about how one boy’s hole problem can be another’s solution! 10/10 recommend!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A very interesting picture book about a little boy who finds a hole and decides to keep it and soon finds out that it is difficult to re-home.

I received an electronic ARC from Star Bright Books through NetGalley.
One day, Charlie finds a hole. Readers see how excited he is to have his own hole but trouble starts when he picks it up and tries to take it with him. Anywhere the hole goes, things fall out of it. No one in town wants the hole either so he finally puts it back. If readers are paying attention to the illustrations, they will see someone who definitely wants the hole right where it was. Great book to use with younger readers to work on making predictions - why would each shop owner refuse the hole? What could you do with this hole? etc.
I love the expressions on the characters; in particular, the one hiding in plain sight on so many pages.

Story: 10
Illustration: 10

The Hole Story is a simple, fun book. I love how it is somewhat open-ended and leads to great discussions with children. It is easy to adapt it to the different age groups. The Hole Story is a book that will be used for many years.

** Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review. **

'The Hole Story' is a cute story following a little boy who finds a hole and tries to give it away after he realizes he should not keep a hole in his pocket.

WHO SHOULD READ IT: Very young kids, 2-5 years old, might enjoy the silliness of it.

Thank you @Netgalley and Star Bright Books for early access to this ARC in return for an unbiased and voluntary review.

What a whimsical story! Filled with puns and charming illustrations, the story follows Charlie as he tries to figure out what to do with hole he found outside. I cannot wait to see this as a print copy and look forward to recommending it to kiddos. Parents will love reading this as well!

This adorable, punny picture book will delight parents as much (or more) than their children. Ideal for older preschool or kindergarten audiences, the story hinges on knowledge of common expressions involving "holes" and will get kids thinking about the flexibility of language. The simple, colorful illustrations with ample white space are eye-catching and easy to follow--with added bonus puns in shop names in illustrations of the town. Released in Australia in 2018, the charming book will be coming to the U.S. in August.

What would you do if you found a hole?
Well, that’s exactly what Charlie found.

He soon finds how useless the hole is to him and tries to find a new owner.

Would the boat builder want the hole?
Would the donut maker?
Would the tailor?

An enjoyably funny and lighthearted book that little ones will find delightful. The illustrations were great and I appreciated the shop names the author added just for the grown-ups! A nice touch of whimsy.

Thank you Star Bright Books for the opportunity to review this delightful book!

A fun picture book about holes... a subject I didn't think could be so fun! A young boy finds a hole, but realizes it is no good for him. He scurries around trying to pass the hole onto someone else, but no one seems to be in need of a hole... so he puts it back. Unbeknownst to the boy, a rabbit comes and finds the hole to sleep in. The last page shows many different animals that sleep underground in holes. A fun and different story with fun illustrations.

This is a great book about leaving things that don't belong to you where you found them. I think this book will really get kids thinking about what holes are actually for and who lives in them.

Cute and creative story with diverse characters! Throughout the story, my teacher brain was exploding with critical thinking questions and extension activities for this book post reading. Could see this fitting perfectly into an SEL (social emotional based learning) lesson… what might appear as a problem for you, could be another person’s solution or as an anchor text for a phonics lesson discussing multiple meaning words. Looking forward to adding this to my Kindergarten classroom library.

Thank you to Publisher, Star Bright Books, and to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story is a very cute and creative story. I loved seeing the various people the child tried to give the hole to. I think this book and the illustrations would be great for an early elementary age level. The students could step into the main character of the story and try and find someone to give the hole to. They could illustrate it and the class could turn it into a book. I also think of all the discussions that could happen due to this book; what would happen if the boat builder took it? who else other than the animals would use one, etc,

This was a cute book with pretty illustrations. We had a few good laughs about the hole he found. A hole is, in most times, not a very good thing to have.

This story was so sweet! It shows a different perspective on how there is always someone who could use something from you. The illustrations are vibrant and enticing. Great read for a classroom!