The Mole and the Hole

Cute book with adorable Illustrations. The plot wasn’t particularly poignant but it’s a kids book! Kids will enjoy this one because it is funny and adults can do lots of fun voices for the different characters.

The Mole and the Hole is a fun children's book with wonderful illustrations. The story follows Mole, who is being kept underground by angry rocks. We learn that they are mad at Mole because his behavior is so disruptive. I wish the moral is spelled out, but parents can discuss the mole's behavior with the child. I think children will like this one as it is very entertaining and even has some crude humor!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

Oh my goodness, the artwork in this book is absolutely P R E C I O U S. I loved every single page. Poor little Mole wanting to get out of his hole, only to be thwarted by the rocks! So, so cute! Definitely recommended for little kids!

A fun look at the consequences of what we do, and of how we ignore them at our peril. Mole has been used to a free and easy life, but that's not an option right now. Yes, he used to love sunbathing on the rocks, kicking his mud onto the rocks, dropping his poo on the rocks – is it any wonder they're blocking him in in his tunnel? Strong moral, good artistic sense (this looks mucky, even when it's being bright and breezy), and of course poo – what else could a young reader wish for? You could call it dollops of fun – for one read at least. I'd call it a strong four stars, and a fine debut.

This was a cute book, and a great example of how words and pictures can tell two different sides of the same story. On one hand, the story of a lonesome mole who innocently wants to explore the above ground world. On the other, the story of a group of rocks who band together to fight off a being of pure destruction. It would have been nice to see the mole recognize and correct his behavior, but as is this is still a funny story that children will enjoy.

Oh poor little Mole! This simple but well told and gorgeously illustrated story will appeal to young children and they will be rooting for Mole to find a way to get out of his hole. This is a great read aloud story with definite 'cute' appeal.

with thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for such a lovely read.

The Mole and the Hole is such a cute book! I am excited to read this to my 2nd graders. I have no doubt they'll be laughing and smiling and begging me to reread it. I'd love if there was a little more obvious of a plot/ lesson to it - maybe a little more about grit/ having a growth mindset, but I think we can steer kids in that direction. I loved the illustrations as well.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Mole and the Hole is a fantastic book to teach children perspective-taking! In the book, our friend, the mole does not understand why others don't like him even though he's just minding his own business. He does not see the mess he leaves behind. Full of easy to understand language and elementary humor, this book would be great in any classroom or skills group.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing/Frances Lincoln Child Books for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a well illustrated childrens book. I am not sure that the kids will get the subcontext but it was fun. Poor mole can only see his side of the story. Still easy enough to point out using the great graphics. 4 stars

Ok, so this book might seem a bit off at first glance...
A mole does whatever he pleases, without regard for others or his surroundings and wonders why someone (the rocks) might take issue with that. He doesn't really learn a lesson and there is no character development.
It definitely isn't a book I would hand to a young, new reader and walk away.
However, as an educator I see a huge learning opportunity. On my first read through I immediately thought of how I could use it to talk to my kiddos about mindfulness, awareness, living in society with others, cause and effect, the environment and our role in protecting it... SOO many opportunities! Therefore I will use it to build a lesson around it, and I am confident my audience will enjoy the story and illustrations.

Delightful! All mole wants to do is go outside and enjoy, but things don't want him digging everywhere. Lots of things in here for parents to discuss with kids as they read to them. Loved the story! I also love the colors and simplicity of the illustrations!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

The three words I would use to describe this book are: adorable, charming, and funny. A Mole is stuck in his hole because the grumpy rocks won't let him out! He is not super self aware, but that just adds to the delight.

😭 Why is this storybook so cute?!

I cannot handle this!

The storybook tells the audience about what a mole does.

But it's the illustrations that stood out. It's heart-breaking cute and eye-popping!

Thank you, authors and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.

The way we see ourselves does not coincide with the way others see us. We all know that we cannot be liked by everyone and it depends on one person to another how much the opinion of those around us matters about us.
There are things we hide from others consciously, because it is so polite or because we do not want them to be found out. There are also things that we unconsciously hide from ourselves, such as fears and complexes.
I adored the little story and this can be used to point out some behaviors not only to children but to adults as well.

This cute and silly picture book follows a mole who just wants to leave his hole! I liked the humor and the art style, and this works as both a comedic little story as well as a teaching moment to be more conscientious of those around you. This a charming story that will be well-loved by many kids!

The Mole and the Hole
Author, Brayden Kowalczuk
Pub date: May 25, 2021
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books

It's Children's Book Week! The annual celebration of books for young people to celebrate in the joy of reading. Reading to my kids is one of my most favorite things to do with them and although they may be a little too old for picture books in their opinion, I say you're never too old for picture books.

The Mole and the Hole is a silly picture book, adorably illustrated for kids ages 3- 8 about an innocent, yet naive mole, who seems to keep finding himself inside his hole. Everyday he tries to dig himself out of his hole, but he continually finds it blocked by rocks. He just can't seem to understand why... he thinks he's a perfectly friendly neighbor, but is he? You'll get lots of giggles with this one!

Check out Brayden Kowalczuk's debut picture book out in stores on May 25, 2021.

Thank you to @netgalley @franceslincolnpub @brad_picture_book_79 for this fun e- ARC!

There are lots of lessons to be learned in this cute little book, most especially about how our actions impact others. The illustrations are adorable. It's a good resource for teaching kindness and responsibility.

This was a sweet story about a mole trying to get out of the hole but rocks are an obstacle. This is a tale about never giving up. The illustrations are very beautiful and made me nostalgic. A great book for children!!

It was a very cute book. Loved it so much. Read it along with my nieces and they loved it more than I did.
Perfect for kids.

This debut picture book is a humorous story about how NOT to be a good neighbour. Mole is being trapped underground in his dark and lonely hole by some cantankerous rocks who are very unhappy with him.

Mole cannot imagine what he has done to deserve such treatment. "When I go out, all I did was mind my own business." Is that true or is Mole oblivious to his actions that are definitely disturbing and making those around him very angry? For instance, he steals ants and calls it playing with friends and he poops from a tree targeting unhappy rocks below, just to name a few of his despicable acts. Will Mole ever be able to escape and be free from these smouldering boulders who are out for revenge and justice?

The digital artwork is full of emotion and fun. I love all the expressions that are portrayed by the rocks, flowers and insects which further enrich the narrative. The message shows how actions can and do impact those around us and how important it is to be a kind, responsible neighbour. There certainly are consequences to the choices one makes in life. The book highlights proper social skills and will spark conversations about respect, manners and how to treat others. I highly recommend this book.

This was a weird story about a mole who would love to get above ground, but who is hampered from doing so by abundant rocks. Pretty much everything in this story has a face and a motivation, including the rocks, who seem to be conspiring to keep the mole down there with his pet bug. I found it amusing that the mole has a pet.

I also found the story a bit confusing and wondered from time to time if there's a meta story going on here, but in the end it seems to be just a tale of the mole finding a place to live that doesn't have so many rocks. There are no rocks underground in this world, just on the surface, and despite the book description, there seems to be no attempt here to tell any morality tale, so it seems we're supposed to figure that out for ourselves, I guess, or just enjoy the story. It was, as I said, a bit of a mess, but it was nicely illustrated by the author and amusingly told, so I commend this as a worthy read for children.

What a cute book. It’s a kids book but, the illustrations and the plot move along as much as you can with a kids book. I liked this but, more importantly my 4 year old liked it. Better then any recommendation I could write!

Mole just wants out of his hole, but the rocks won't let him. Poor Mole. It's not like he's ever done anything . . . wrong. Or has he? Can Mole learn from his past and correct his ways, or is history doomed to repeat itself?
This laugh-out loud book by author/illustrator Bryan Kowalczuk will have kids begging for more. and offers parents a great introduction to talk about personal responsibility and caring for our environment.
Warning, includes potty humor.

The Mole and the Hole is a cute book about a mole who wants to explore above ground, but encounters angry rocks and other less than happy creatures. Mole just wants to do his thing and the rocks and creatures are not happy.

The story is told from mole’s perspective and the beautiful illustrations show the perspectives of everything around mole.

As an educator, I would recommend this story for classroom libraries. It can be used for lessons on taking another perspective. How do the rocks feel? What would you say to mole if you were the ant?

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mole did what he does best : digging. But he cannot find his way out, he was blocked by the stones.

This is a story of a mole, who loves digging holes like moles do, to find a way to enjoy his life. A fun read and a good one too, the story reminds me to be optimistic like the mole, and try 101 ways to find your way out to see the sun.

This is a children's book about a mole who is stuck underground because the rocks and animals above the earth do not want him annoying them anymore. Mole does not understand how his daily living affects others; for example, he had been very messy and this had been annoying the rocks and animals. The rocks therefore blocked his hole, so that he could not get out.. The artwork of the book is great and the book is a lot of fun. It is a useful way to teach children that they must think of others who are around them and try to respect other people and the environment in which they live.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. The Mole tries to have a normal day, but the rocks above refuse to let them out. No matter how hard Mole tries, it looks like they may be stuck underground for a while. Yet as this tale comes to a close they get out and find a new place to do their daily tasks. Kids are sure to have a great time reading this book.