THE CAVE is a colorful children's book with a creative story line. I'm not particularly sure there's a message in it, unless you are trying to teach kids not to be like the wolf, but it was still a cute book with a fun twist at the end. Also, now I want a donut. (I guess the question you can raise is "What would it take to make you face danger?")

I can see that there would be an audience drawn to this story, but I felt a bit underwhelmed. The artwork is unique and I must say I like this one more than his other book “The Woods”. There is an underlying amount of humour here and I like the little additions that Hodgson adds (cook book says “Cooking for One” and the resident snail who very slowly climbs up the rocks, only to fall and have to start all over). The wolf is a bit of stalkerish trying to coax the little creature out of his cave…. Sounds a bit creepy… But there could be a lesson or two to be learned here, if you look hard enough, the best one being karma’s a b—ear.

A small creature of indeterminate species is holed up in a cave, while a blue wolf tries to persuade it to come out. In the end it’s a lesson on not jumping to conclusions, which you’ll realize when you hit the Twilight Zone-like twist.
When the creature said it was hungry, right after the lightning hit the wolf, I thought for sure it was going to eat the wolf. Dark turn for a kid’s story, but it turned out okay. . . well, not so great for the wolf, but at least it’s still alive.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5

A funny book for little ones with great illustrations! I enjoyed this little story about the wolf trying to coax a critter from a cave, waiting endlessly outside the entrance. Then finally he gets him to appear using a sprinkle coated donut, and gets a BIG surprise. This book for be great for toddlers and fun for a parent to read!

The Cave is a short but amusing book about a little creature whose eyes are visible from outside of its cave. A hungry wolf waits outside, continually asking the creature when it will come out. The book follows a simple formula, but contains enough mystery that children will probably enjoy it, and even adults will likely find it amusing. And it's short enough to keep repetitive readings from becoming tedious.

I enjoyed the illustrations and appreciated that the book didn't try too hard to be deep or funny -- it sticks to its sparse wording and allows a simple tale to develop about the interplay between these two odd characters and one bigger-than-it-seems cave.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.)

There is a creature in the cave and the fox wants him to come out and play because he is hungry or rather lonely. This book is hysterical and I think that kids will find it funny too.

This is a delightful story that young kids will love. A wolf discovers a mysterious creature in a cave and makes it his mission to have the critter for lunch. He invites him to come play with him and offers to be his BFF, but the creature declines his invitations.

The sly wolf is persistent, and the more he waits, the hungrier he gets and the more desperate. He offers a variety of activities that might interest the creature enough to exit his abode, but alas, no luck.

As a last ditch effort wolf offers up a tasty donut with sprinkles to the creature and ta da!... that's the magic bullet that lures the creature out into the open.

Wolf is in for the surprise of his life! The twist at the end of the story will have kids' eyes pop open wide followed by a joyous laugh. I love stories that are witty and clever and unveil the unexpected. This one does not disappoint.

The illustrations are colourful, expressive and very kid-friendly. Be sure to look for a little worm that is hidden in the illustrations. It is another fun component added into the pages and on the author/illustator's webpage. This is not only a perfect bedtime story but would be a great addition in a classroom setting or in an elementary school library. It's fun for all ages really. I know I enjoyed it immensely and I highly recommend it.

This was a brilliant story, I loved the illustrations so lovely reminiscent of my childhood and the hungriest caterpillar style. The story is simply, funny and has a great lesson. Great fun for adults and children and I can see becoming a classic

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This one’s a maybe for me. Love the art, love the twist, love the bear's answers to the wolf’s attempts to lure them out, am confused about the lightning, am confused about the thought of bears eating wolves, am confused that it states that the little creature (which ends up being a huge bear) stays inside the cave BECAUSE of the wolf, when that doesn’t seem to be the case. If other reviews around the web are positive, I’ll probably buy it for my library, but it doesn’t completely chime for me.

A hungry wolf stands guard by a cave trying to lure a little creature out. Day after day the wolf attempts to persuade the little creature to leave, but the little creature stays put. In a twist that adults may see coming (but the kids who I read it to didn’t), the wolf is finally successful, much to his surprise.

When I read The Cave by myself, I enjoyed it but thought the twist was obvious. I’m so glad I also read it with kids, because they were literally on the edge of their seat, worried about the little creature and then laughing with delight at the wolf’s surprise ending. Even after knowing how the book ends, kids request it again and again. It’s a fun read!

I can see this being used for comprehension lessons when you are first starting off with teaching strategies explicitly. It’s short, there is room for predictions, and then it ends. It is playful and the art is fun.

There isn’t much to it besides that, but again, I can see the potential for some classroom lessons.

Thanks to the publisher and the author and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very cute children's book that made me giggle at the end. The illustrations are colourful and eye-catching. This is the perfect addition to a child's bedtime library.

This was a fun story that kept me as an adult guessing until the end.

A wolf comes across a cave, inside the cave lives a creature. The wolf's aim throughout the story is to persuade the creature to come out (because he wants to be friends or so he claims!) The creature is determined to stay inside where all we can see is it's eyes. Will the wolf succeed in luring out the creature? And what is hiding away in the dark?

The pictures were simple but effective and I loved that there was a little worm for children to hunt for on each page (which can also be found on the author's website!) There are lots of opportunities to talk about how the wolf is feeling at different stages with children as his expressions are clear in the pictures. There is also the potential for lots of prediction as children try to guess what is hiding in the cave.

Many thanks to the publishers for giving me access to a digital copy of this book for review via NetGalley

This book made me laugh. I was able to do several activities and have a fun discussion with a couple kindergarten groups.

It's rare to find a book for this age that is so authentically funny. I loved the ending, the storyline, and the surprise. Highly recommended.

This was a good, quick read, perfect for 1st graders. I was not sure how this book was going to turn out - is the wolf really wanting to make a friend or does it want to eat what's in the cave? Regardless, I think young kids will enjoy the illustrations and humor.

I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fun story. Great illustrations. Good book to read with kids. Quite a surprise at the end! Add it to your library!

The Cave is a beautifully illustrated funny little story of a little creature who lives in a cave and a big bad wolf very determined to get his lunch. I loved the bright bold colours and the enterprising spirit of the wolf. In fact, I concentrated on the story so much, that I didn’t see the big twist coming. Children are bound to be surprised and delighted by the book.
Thank you to NetGaleey and Quarto Publishing Group/ Frances Lincoln Childrens/ Lincoln Children’s Books for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Cave is a delightful picture book sure to be a favorite at bedtime. With hilarious illustrations that are full of life and personality, Rob Hodgson's story ends with a twist that will have kids laughing and begging to read the book all over again. Adults will be happy to oblige, because they'll notice new clever background details every time they read it. Witty and eye-catching, The Cave is a brilliant debut from a talented author-illustrator.

This was a cute little book with beautiful pictures. I’d say it’s definitely aimed at more the board book age group, and it would make a cute baby gift.