Synopsis
A 2015 Caldecott Honor Book
With perfect pacing, the multi-award-winning, New York Times best-selling team of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen dig down for a deadpan tale full of visual humor.
Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they keep digging. And they find . . . nothing. Yet the day turns out to be pretty spectacular after all. Attentive readers will be rewarded with a rare treasure in this witty story of looking for the extraordinary — and finding it in a manner you’d never expect.
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About the Author
Mac Barnett, the 2025–2026 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, is a New York Times best-selling author of stories for children. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages and sold more than five million copies worldwide. Mac Barnett’s books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/ New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book Awards, three E. B. White Read-Aloud Awards, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, Germany’s Jugendliteraturpreis, China’s Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Award, the Netherlands’ Zilveren Griffel, and Italy’s Premio Orbil. He is the cocreator, with Jon Klassen, of the Substack Looking at Picture Books, as well as Shape Island, a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+, based on their best-selling Shapes series of picture books. Mac Barnett lives in Oakland, California.
Jon Klassen is the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling I Want My Hat Back, which received a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor, and its companions, This Is Not My Hat, which won a Caldecott Medal and a Kate Greenaway Medal, and We Found a Hat, named a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year. He is also the creator of the Your Places and Your Things board book series, as well as the picture books The Rock from the Sky and The Skull. He is the illustrator of How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?, Extra Yarn, Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, and the Shapes Trilogy, all by Mac Barnett. For his contributions to children’s literature, Jon Klassen is a member of the Order of Canada and was named the 2026 recipient of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Jon Klassen now lives in Los Angeles.
Reviews
PreS-Gr 1—The winning picture book team that created Extra Yarn (HarperCollins, 2012) is back together in this understated, humorous, and charmingly perplexing tale. Sam and Dave, who are either identical twin boys or friends who look astonishingly alike and share a sartorial sensibility, set out to dig a hole in the hopes of finding "something spectacular." With shovels in hand, the boys (with an eager terrier looking on) begin to tunnel into the soil, but they just can't seem to find anything of interest. What works spectacularly is the clever play between words and pictures. As in Klassen's This Is Not My Hat (Candlewick, 2012), readers are in on a joke to which the characters are oblivious. Namely, that each time the boys change direction, they narrowly miss discovering increasingly enormous jewels hidden in the earth. The book progresses with each verso showing the boys' progress, while the recto features simple text, mostly dialogue between the practical but unlucky explorers. About halfway through, a spread reveals a diamond so large it can barely be contained on the page; it dwarfs the two boys and their trusty canine companion—but all for naught, since they decide to dig in a different direction. Exhausted and covered from head to toe in dirt, Sam and Dave decide to take a rest. Klassen's use of muted earth tones and uncomplicated compositions is paired well with Barnett's deadpan humor. As they nap in their hole, the dog continues to dig…until suddenly the trio is falling; they soon land in a place that looks an awful lot like home. Small details reveal that this house and its inhabitants are ever so slightly changed. Are they dreaming? On the other side of the world? In a different dimension? Readers will have to puzzle that one out for themselves.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal
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Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Seller: Books for Life, LAUREL, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. Klassen, Jon (illustrator). Book is in good condition. Minimal signs of wear. It May have markings or highlights, but kept to only a few pages. May not come with supplemental materials if applicable. Seller Inventory # LFM.8UJT
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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Seller: Goodwill of Colorado, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. Klassen, Jon (illustrator). All pages and cover are intact. Dust jacket included if applicable, though it may be missing on hardcover editions. Spine and cover may show minor signs of wear including scuff marks, curls or bends to corners as well as cosmetic blemishes including stickers. Pages may contain limited notes or highlighting. "From the library of" labels may be present. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set packaging may be missing. Bundled media e.g., CDs, DVDs, access codes may not be included. Seller Inventory # 466U1F002E0W
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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Seller: 2nd Life Books, Burlington, NJ, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: very_good. Klassen, Jon (illustrator). Used book in very good condition. May have some minor wear. May NOT include discs, or access code or other supplemental material. Ships directly from Amazon and is eligible for Prime or super saver FREE shipping. We ship Monday-Saturday and respond to inquiries within 24 hours. Seller Inventory # BXM.CK8G
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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Seller: clickgoodwillbooks, Indianapolis, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: acceptable. Klassen, Jon (illustrator). Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may be missing bundled media. Seller Inventory # 3O6WBH0005J0_ns
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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Seller: Goodwill Books, Hillsboro, OR, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: acceptable. Klassen, Jon (illustrator). Fairly worn, but readable and intact. If applicable: Dust jacket, disc or access code may not be included. Seller Inventory # GICWV.0763662291.A
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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Seller: Blue Vase Books, Interlochen, MI, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. Klassen, Jon (illustrator). The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials. Seller Inventory # BVV.0763662291.G
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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Seller: Goodwill Industries, Spokane, WA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. Klassen, Jon (illustrator). Condition: Good â" Used book with some visible wear. May include stickers on the cover, wear or absence of the dust jacket, wear to the spine or inside cover, slight corner curling, minor staining, and wear along the fore edge. All orders are shipped via UPS Mail Innovations and may take up to 10 business days from the initial scan to be delivered. Seller Inventory # INWV.0763662291.G
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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole (Irma S and James H Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature (Awards))
Seller: HPB-Emerald, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Klassen, Jon (illustrator). Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_474946745
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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole (Irma S and James H Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature (Awards))
Seller: HPB-Diamond, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Klassen, Jon (illustrator). Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_473962984
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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Seller: Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana, Columbus, OH, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. Klassen, Jon (illustrator). Seller Inventory # voaV.0763662291.G