A Hole Is to Dig: A First Book of First Definitions

Back in print with gorgeously restored artwork! From beloved children’s book creators Ruth Krauss and Maurice Sendak, this iconic hardcover book of first definitions is a clever, humorous read-aloud.

“A brother is to help you, a package is to look inside, arms are to hug with, and a book is to look at,” as award-winning author Ruth Krauss and the many children who made suggestions, revisions, additions (and subtractions) say in this book.

Since it was first published in 1952, generations of children have taken this book of words and black-and-white pictures to heart. With wonderful illustrations from Caldecott Medal winner Maurice Sendak, this is the funniest book of definitions you’ll ever read!

Don’t miss these other books by Ruth Krauss and Maurice Sendak:

Somebody Else’s Nut Tree

I'll Be You and You Be Me

 ”A unique book . . . with drawings bouncing with action and good humor.” - New York Times

“Entirely original in approach and content is this ‘first book of first definitions’ in which Miss Krauss, with the help of children themselves, gives us such gems as ‘a seashell is to hear the sea’; ‘cats are so you can have kittens.’ The illustrations are perfect whether they are making it clear that, of course, ‘buttons are to keep people warm’; or picturing the small boy who feels he has thought of an excruciatingly funny definition: ‘A tablespoon is to eat a table with.’” - Horn Book Magazine

“The tiny book, with its hundreds of funny, tiny children, has immediate appeal to the eye.” - New York Herald Tribune

“This ‘first book of first definitions’ is a child’s book, but it is also that rare and wonderful one that is genuinely original and imaginative.” - San Francisco Chronicle

“Krauss’s definitions—from ‘toes are to wiggle’ to ‘a hat is to wear on a train’—tell what’s what—and Sendak’s inimitable early illustrations show how.” - Publishers Weekly