A quirky, fun, and surreal story about new friendships (and snacks) for all curious little adventurers.
Betsy and her stuffed crocodile Philippa are out on a walk, when Betsy points to the ground. "There is not usually a hole." Then something comes out of the hole. It is a banana. Followed by a number of other unexpected items. Betsy is content to watch what happens, but when Philippa disappears down the hole, Betsy has to go find her. From master picture book creator Daisy Hirst comes a story of friendship and sharing, and realizing that more is indeed merrier.
SELECTION
| 2026 Junior Library Guild Selection
The inherent humor of finding a mysterious hole and then exploring its depths is a distinct enticement, but it’s the relationship between Betsy and Philippa (and then, in time, Betsy and Nelson) that gives the book its heart and soul. . . .A journey into the unknown yields friends both old and new in a tale that’s one part diverting and two parts charming. —Kirkus Reviews
In this sweetly absurd world, snacks and shared appreciation for similar playthings resolve all misunderstandings, forging a new friendship as unexpected as a suddenly appearing hole. —Publishers Weekly
Daisy Hirst is the creator of the internationally successful Natalie & Alphonse series, as well as the Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Honor Book The Girl with the Parrot on Her Head, Hilda and the Runaway Baby, Hamish Takes the Train,and I Like Trains. Daisy Hirst lives in London.
A quirky, fun, and surreal story about new friendships (and snacks) for all curious little adventurers.
Betsy and her stuffed crocodile Philippa are out on a walk, when Betsy points to the ground. "There is not usually a hole." Then something comes out of the hole. It is a banana. Followed by a number of other unexpected items. Betsy is content to watch what happens, but when Philippa disappears down the hole, Betsy has to go find her. From master picture book creator Daisy Hirst comes a story of friendship and sharing, and realizing that more is indeed merrier.
Awards
SELECTION
| 2026 Junior Library Guild Selection
Praise
The inherent humor of finding a mysterious hole and then exploring its depths is a distinct enticement, but it’s the relationship between Betsy and Philippa (and then, in time, Betsy and Nelson) that gives the book its heart and soul. . . .A journey into the unknown yields friends both old and new in a tale that’s one part diverting and two parts charming. —Kirkus Reviews
In this sweetly absurd world, snacks and shared appreciation for similar playthings resolve all misunderstandings, forging a new friendship as unexpected as a suddenly appearing hole. —Publishers Weekly
Author
Daisy Hirst is the creator of the internationally successful Natalie & Alphonse series, as well as the Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Honor Book The Girl with the Parrot on Her Head, Hilda and the Runaway Baby, Hamish Takes the Train,and I Like Trains. Daisy Hirst lives in London.
