Billy and the Hole

A boy, a talking hole in the ground, and an impossible request.

One day, Billy found a hole.
It wasn't there yesterday.
But there it was, right in his favorite spot, under his favorite tree.

This hole in the ground is no ordinary hole in the ground. For it speaks to Billy with a voice that's cold and hard, like ancient stone. At first, the hole in the ground is polite and kind, and tells Billy how clever he is. And, well, Billy just can't resist his new odd friend and their nice words. But when the hole's requests grow more extreme, and Billy can't always meet them--Billy will have to take matters into his own hands before his new friend takes matters into theirs.

From a singular new voice in children's books, Jessica Goecke, comes a new macabre picture book with gorgeous art and a touch of darkness that is also at turns laugh-out-loud funny. Perfect for fans of Jon Klassen's The Skull or Olive Jeffers's There's a Ghost In This House!Jessica Goecke is a writer, illustrator, and graphic designer. She is a 2023 PB Rising Stars mentee and recipient of SCBWI's Don Freeman grant. She lives just outside Seattle with her husband, two kids, and miniature snauzer, Duke. Billy and the Hole is her debut picture book.