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    Billy and the Hole

    Author Jessica Goecke
    Illustrated by Jessica Goecke
    Hardcover
    $18.99 US
    Penguin Young Readers | Flamingo Books
    8-1/2"W x 11"H | 20 oz | 24 per carton
    On sale Aug 11, 2026 | 40 Pages | 9780593695234
    Age 4-8 years | Preschool - 3
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    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!
    "Sepia-toned illustrations lend this tale of toxic friendship an ominous quality, and clever compositions reinforce the witty text’s more absurd moments. Kids will appreciate the book’s humor (who doesn’t love a good belch?) and should find the villainous hole intriguing,...Clever and darkly funny" – Kirkus Reviews
    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.
    Jessica Goecke View titles by Jessica Goecke

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    About

    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!

    Praise

    "Sepia-toned illustrations lend this tale of toxic friendship an ominous quality, and clever compositions reinforce the witty text’s more absurd moments. Kids will appreciate the book’s humor (who doesn’t love a good belch?) and should find the villainous hole intriguing,...Clever and darkly funny" – Kirkus Reviews

    Author

    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.
    Jessica Goecke View titles by Jessica Goecke

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