A Dark, Dark Cave

by Eric Hoffman, Corey R. Tabor (Illustrator)

Overview

On a cold night, under a pale moon, a brother and sister explore a dark, dark cave. Strange creatures skitter along the walls while bats brush past. A wild howl makes the cave feel just a teensy bit darker. But readers are in for a delightful surprise when a beam of light reveals a softer side of the cave.

Told in spare rhyming text alongside stunning illustrations, A Dark, Dark Cave will ignite a young reader's imagination and inspire creative play. This just-spooky-enough story is sure to become a read-aloud favorite.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780698137172
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/24/2016
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	100 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 6 Years

About the Author

Eric Hoffman has worked for thirty-five years in Maryland, Ohio, and California helping preschoolers create caves, forts, nests, barns, and other hideouts. He lives and writes in a sunny house in Santa Cruz.

Editorial Reviews

…Tabor's offbeat, expressive illustrations work wonderfully to support Hoffman's text.

The New York Times Book Review - Lizi Boyd

02/22/2016
Readers will have an opportunity to assume their best spooky voices in this shivery story of brother-and-sister spelunkers. “Bats in flight/ disappear from sight/ in a dark, dark cave,” writes Hoffman (Best Best Colors), as beams from the siblings’ flashlights reveal glinting subterranean crystals and just-ominous-enough winged creatures. Just when the “dark, dark cave” refrains have built to a fever pitch and readers may begin to think that these kids have the least attentive parents ever, a scary figure looming at the cave’s mouth turns out to be their father: “That’s too loud, kids. Find a quiet game. The baby’s sleeping.” The cave, it turns out, is actually made from blankets and chairs—the bats were marionettes, while the “shining eyes” and “giant paws” that were so menacing belong to the family cat. Newcomer Tabor’s mixed-media illustrations have a lively DIY spirit that mirrors the siblings’ ingenuity. But there’s nothing amateur about the repertoire of techniques he employs to convey a sense of the deep, dark unknown and his characters’ (mostly) intrepid explorations. Ages 4–6. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"This joyful, timeless exploration of play is sure to be an inspirational spark to young readers, who will then embark on their own imaginary games. Readers young and old will find much to appreciate in this celebration of the imagination."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Wonderfully expressive multimedia illustrations add depth and vitality to the suspenseful text… Build your own fort in which to enjoy this imaginative portrayal of a sweet sibling adventure."
—Booklist

"For fans of imaginative play."
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

05/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—A boy, girl, and dog enter a cave with a flashlight. They see bats, stalactites, stalagmites, lizards, large yellow eyes, giant paws, and then a large, human shadow; they "Roooaaaar!" On the next spread, their father lifts the blanket of their "cave" and tells them to "find a quiet game. The baby's sleeping." The siblings devise a plan to pretend to be two horses running "to a blanket barn/wearing manes of yarn/playing happily/in what used to be/a dark, dark cave." The story relies on digitally assembled illustrations created with watercolor, pencil, and colored pencil, as the most text on any spread is 13 words, providing scant description. The dark cave scenes are appropriately abstract but may be difficult for younger readers to follow. The horse-riding scenes are bright, sunny, and detailed. Pretend play is more satisfyingly conveyed in Michael Rosen's We're Going on a Bear Hunt and David Axtell's We're Going on a Lion Hunt. Suggest Lemony Snicket's The Dark to readers who wish to shiver with expert pacing in text and atmospheric illustrations. VERDICT A serviceable addition for fans of imaginative play.—Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI

School Library Journal

2016-03-02
Who is down there in the dark, dark cave? Two white siblings use their imaginations to fearlessly investigate a mysterious cave in this gently suspenseful and lyrical tale. "The pale moon glows // as a cold wind blows / through a dark, dark cave." Digitally assembled watercolors show the two intrepid explorers bathed in the light of their flashlights as they journey through the cavern and provide plenty of details to get lost in. The poetic text has just the right amount of repetition and adds an atmosphere of mystery and fun. But wait! What's that approaching light? "That's too loud, kids. Find a quiet game. The baby's sleeping," says Dad prosaically, abruptly ending the spell. From under their homemade cave (complete with chairs and blanket), the siblings try to find another game to play. Can they do it? Of course they can! The surprise twist is a nice touch, and the gentle suspense and willing belief of the characters are charming and realistic. This joyful, timeless exploration of play is sure to be an inspirational spark to young readers, who will then embark on their own imaginary games. Readers young and old will find much to appreciate in this celebration of the imagination. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews