The Water Hole - Hardcover

by Graeme Base (Author)

A stunning fusion of counting book, puzzle book, storybook, and art book with timeless colors and humor from Graeme Base, the international bestselling creator of Animalia.

The Water Hole is a spectacular visual feast that's more than just a book--it's an immersive experience for the whole family, perfect for repeated exploration.

Children will love counting from 1 to 10 as animals of the world gather around a water hole. As 1 rhino gives way to 2 tigers, then 3 toucans, on up to 10 kangaroos, die-cut pages reveal the water hole in 10 different worldwide habitats, from African plains to Himalayan mountains to the Australian outback.

The Water Hole is an ingenious fusion of:

• A Counting Book: Count along from one African Rhino to ten Australian Kangaroos as animals from different continents gather to quench their thirst.
• A Global Story: Journey across diverse, vividly illustrated habitats--from the African plains to the Amazonian jungle to the Himalayan mountains.
• A Puzzle Book: Challenge yourself to find theten times ten (one hundred!) other creatures cleverly camouflaged within the stunning artwork on every page.

Watch as the water hole itself gets smaller with each turn of the die-cut pages, visually reinforcing the book's timely and life-affirming message aboutecological balance, conservation, and the precious nature of water.

The Water Hole features the layers of interest that make Graeme Base's books among the world's best-loved picture books. Careful readers will find additional animals, many of them endangered, silhouetted in the borders of every spread and hiding within every landscape. It's a book children will ask to be read again and again.

This timeless classic sparks curiosity, numeracy, and a love for our planet's wildlife. Perfect for ages 4-8.

Don't miss these favorite books from Graeme Base:

• Animalia
• The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery
• The Water Hole: A Counting Picture Book

Author Biography

Graeme Base is an internationally acclaimed British-Australian author and illustrator, widely regarded as one of the world's leading creators of imaginative picture books. With global sales exceeding six million copies, his works have achieved classic status and are celebrated for their intricate detail, rich visual storytelling, and embedded puzzles.

Base is best known for crafting books that encourage repeat reads and deep exploration:

• Animalia: An alliterative alphabet book and worldwide bestseller that challenged readers to find hundreds of objects hidden within its breathtakingly detailed illustrations. It has since been adapted into a popular animated television series.
• The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery: A captivating mystery in verse, where readers are challenged to solve the case of the missing birthday feast by finding codes and clues subtly hidden in the artwork.
• The Water Hole: A Counting Picture Book: A popular counting book that doubles as a fun introduction to geography and ecological themes, using die-cut pages to illustrate the shrinking water supply.

Graeme Base's books are a unique fusion of art, literature, and puzzle-making, appealing to children and adults alike:

• Intricate Artwork: He uses watercolors and transparent inks to create incredibly detailed, vibrant, and imaginative worlds, often taking years to complete a single book.
• Hidden Layers: His work consistently incorporates riddles, codes, and hidden figures, transforming the reading experience into a thrilling quest for discovery.
• Environmental Themes: Books like Uno's Garden and The Water Hole subtly introduce readers to concepts of ecology, conservation, and the importance of global stewardship.

Born in England, Graeme Base moved to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in Melbourne with his wife, Robyn. An accomplished musician as well as an artist, he has also adapted several of his books for the stage, including The Sign of the Seahorse as an opera.

Explore the marvelous, multi-layered worlds of Graeme Base, where every page holds a secret waiting to be found.