FICTION

A Hole in the Wall

by Hans WILHELM
illus. by Hans Wilhelm. 32p. Holiday House. Feb. 2016. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9780823435357; ebk. $16.95. ISBN 9780823435944.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—When four animals take turns peeking inside a hole, they see animals that look like them. The African dog tells the others, "I saw a hole with a dog." The dialogue is repetitive as each animal declares that the speaker is wrong. Certain of what they saw, the friends allow their tempers to flare, and they stop talking. After a short silence, they march over to the hole to find out who is telling the truth. When all four see themselves, they all smile. Wilhelm's last spread pans back so the reader can see the hole from every side. It's here we see the hole is really a mirror being held up by a nail in the wall. The story that inspired this book ("A Fable" by Mark Twain) is included on the last three pages of the book. Older children may understand the moral as told by the cat.
VERDICT A fun story about self-perception, truth, and imagination; a great choice to act out with stuffed animals and a mirror.
Reviewed by Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada
This deceptively straightforward tale tells of animals looking in a "hole," seeing only their own reflections, and arguing about what's inside. Mark Twain's "A Fable," which provided the inspiration, is appended, and its moral sheds light on this adaptation. Large-scale illustrations zoom in on the animals' faces and use simple lines and (mostly) one-tone backgrounds to reflect the story's minimalist approach.
 , Jan 01, 2016

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