The Whole Hole Story by Vivian McInerny (review)

McInerny, Vivian The Whole Hole Story; illus. by Ken Lamug. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780358128816 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780358129486 $12.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* 4-6 yrs

Little Zia has a hole in her pocket, which begins to stretch until it's big enough that Zia herself falls through. Luckily, this is an imaginary hole, "so it could only be as scary as she allowed," and Zia hates scary stories. Zia and the listener take off on a variety of fantastic adventures, with the hole providing drinking water for bickering animals, serving as an ice skating rink, and even morphing into an elephant trap (Zia, of course, helps the elephant get back to its home in India safely). McInerny's debut picture book bounces along with the changing waves of a child's fantasies, shifting seamlessly from one game to the next. With a nod to concrete poetry, text is cunningly structured to add visual flair and dynamic activity to the pages, showcasing Zia's meandering thoughts (and squirmy fishing lines). Lamug's pencil and digital illustrations are perfectly suited to our young heroine: colorful, fanciful, and full of surprises. Giraffes materialize in shades of green and blue, penguins join the ice-skating antics, and flatware runs to help Zia make countless mudpies. A shrinking hole that eventually ends back in Zia's pocket makes for a clever, satisfying end and a twist that is sure to put a grin on savvy listeners' faces. This is sure to be a storytime favorite with audiences, and they'll clamor for Mc-Inerny's next outing.