The Hole
The Hole
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Written and illustrated by Øyvind Torseter
Translated from Norwegian by Kari Dickson
A Brain Pickings 13 Best Children's, Illustrated, and Picture Book of 2013
The protagonist of The Hole has discovered a hole in his apartment and tries to find an explanation for it. He seeks expert advice. But not everything can be explained. Perhaps he'll just have to accept that the hole is there? The Hole has simple, expressive drawings created by pen and computer, and there's a hole punched right through the book, so it really exists, even if it can't be explained.
Comic yet philosophical, simple yet deeply expressive, The Hole is quite simply—brilliant!
ISBN: 978-1-59270-143-8
9.2" (W) x 10.8" (H) • 64 pages • HC
AWARDS AND REVIEWS
A Brain Pickings 13 Best Children's, Illustrated, and Picture Book of 2013
"Off-the-wall (so to speak) and seriously fun, this story is one to give a child of any age for exploring and pondering." ―Kirkus Reviews
"With its moody line drawings, sly humor, and witty use of the hole in each page (when it’s not a hole, it’s a streetlight, balloon, nostril, etc.), Torseter’s story amuses, provokes, and leaves readers wishing for more." —Publishers Weekly
“I got [The Hole] when my daughter was just two, and we read it then and still read it now. A creature moving into a new apartment discovers a hole which keeps moving, which he can’t manage to understand or get rid of, but which he eventually accommodates as a moon, as a light. I assume every adult knows about these absences with which we have to make a measured peace.” —Rivka Galchen
"This Norwegian import is an almost-wordless picture book that will surprise and delight. [...] Entirely playful and a truly wondrous look at the world, this book will have you reading it again right away." —Tasha Saecker, Waking Brain Cells
"For a humorous demonstration of how a little thing can have big implications, look no further than ‘The Hole,’ by Norwegian writer and illustrator Oyvind Torseter. This stylish book has a single small hole drilled all the way through its middle, which brings readers in on the joke from the beginning... [...] [a] curiously affecting story." —Meghan Cox Gurdon, The Wall Street Journal
“The story of a lovable protagonist who wakes up one day and discovers a mysterious hole in his apartment, which moves and seems to have a mind of its own. Befuddled, he looks for its origin―in vain. He packs it in a box and takes it to a lab, but still no explanation.” —Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
“This is an extraordinary book that will have kids boggled and intrigued, and adults thinking. Delectable free-form sketches and monochromatic colour make it visual splendour for any reader. Wonderful stuff.” —The Kids’ Book Review
”Another gem published by Enchanted Lion Books, this may be one of may all-time-favorite books. Period. […] A tiny bit of negative space drives a story full of metaphysical questions, funny interactions, and brilliant visuals.” —Lisa Zaretsky, @playagainreads