Spark your child's wonder and imagination with "The Something"

The Something by Rebecca Cobb(Macmillan, 2014)Good to Read for:Developing curiosity about the worldEncouraging imaginationDiversifying your child’s bookshelf I loved being in nature as a kid, and I spent much time speculating about what might be hiding down the holes I found while exploring. I still speculate about holes in the ground!

I got it from my dad, who encouraged my interest in the natural world. Occasionally, we’d come across a molehill. Without fail, my dad would get on his hands and knees, dig into the mound of soil to find the mole’s tunnel and have a good rummage around. I always wondered if (and hoped) he might pull out an actual mole!

So when I spotted the cover of The Something by Rebecca Cobb, showing a child peering intently into a hole in the grass, I was immediately hooked! I wanted to know what ‘the Something’ was that lived in the hole. And what about all those other creatures – a dragon, a badger, a blue-faced ‘Something’ – stood behind the inquisitive child?  My curiosity was sparked!

‘Cobb celebrates the power of imagination in this treat of a book’, says The Bookseller. Not only does Cobb celebrate it – she ignites it!  Written in the first person from the point of view of the child (they’re not assigned a gender, but for ease, I shall refer to them as ‘he’), Cobb captures the spirit of childhood in both the simplicity of her language and charming illustrations.

The story begins with the pictures at the start of the book: the kid is playing a game of fetch with his dog in the garden when - uh-oh – their ball bounces down a hole and disappears.

Underneath the cherry tree in our garden is a little hole. We found it one day when I bounced my ball and it didn’t bounce back.

   

The premise is simple but enough to draw in the reader and invite our curiosity. (Incidentally, Cobb uses the cherry tree to show the passing seasons, illustrating the first spring shoots, its blossom, the cherries and finally, falling autumn leaves. It’s a clever touch that adds interest – and another discussion point - to her story.) The idea, explains Cobb, comes from childhood:

 

“When I was little, I found a hole in the ground outside. It looked like the sort of hole that an animal had made, so I was sure that it had something living in it. I waited and waited for a long time to see if anything would come out. After a while, I got hungry and went to get some mini cheddars. I had decided by now that there was most likely a mouse in the hole and a mouse would probably like mini cheddars - so I posted one down there for it to eat.”

– Love My Books interview with Rebecca Cobb  

‘Mum says the hole might be a doorway into a little mouse’s house’ signals the first of several cut-away illustrations (where the page is divided between above and below ground in the kind of cross-section that kids love): a spiral staircase leads below ground from the hole to a scene of devastation – the ball has smashed into the mice’s dining room. Or has it? Everyone seems to have a different opinion.

   

Dad thinks the hole is full of frogs (now the cut-away shows a sizeable underground chamber of frogs playing with the lost, red ball). Could that be what’s going on down there? Or perhaps it’s a troll. Or a chill fox in sunglasses, listening to vinyl! 

‘[M]y best friend says it is definitely a dragon’s den. He knows this because he has a dragon living in his garden.’

Each idea is humorously portrayed by Cobb in an appealing cross-section, showing life above - and below - ground.

   

I shared this story with my seven-year-old niece, Kira. Pausing at the cover, I asked what she thought might live in the hole. Without hesitation, she replied a mole –which is what the grandma in the story thinks, too. (When we got to that illustration, Kira noticed that the mole is knitting and a badger has a newspaper – just like the grandparents sat under the cherry tree in their deck chairs. And there's that missing ball, on the mole's pile of yarn.) 

   

The clever thing about the story is we are left hanging. Our question - What is the Something that lurks down the hole? –  remains unanswered. It is up to the reader to decide. The final spreads depict the boy getting ready for bed. He sits at his window sill, hoping to spot the Something pop out of the hole. The final illustration shows him asleep. Outside, all the characters in the story get together to play with the lost ball. Kira played right into Cobb’s hands and wondered if they were real – or was it just a dream? 

   

With its depiction of different skin tones, a wheelchair user and a child wearing spectacles, The Something effortlessly helps diversify your child’s reading. But it’s the way the idea got under my skin and niggled away that really impressed me. Cobb’s open story loop left me speculating for days after reading it! Open-ended stories like this are incredibly empowering for young children, who are frequently told that there are right and wrong answers. And sometimes there are. But sometimes, we can conjure up our own answers and let our imaginations run wild! It's a playful way to tell your child that their thoughts are valid.

Back to the real-life hole that inspired Cobb to write the story. Did she ever find out what was down the hole in her childhood garden?

 

“Almost at once, the mini cheddar was pushed back out of the hole by a frog! I have never forgotten my shock and surprise, and it taught me that you never know what might be living underground. Even today, I am still filled with curiosity whenever I see a hole like that in the earth that might have something down it.”

Love My Books interview with Rebecca Cobb

  Tips for sharing The Something

This is an excellent story for sparking conversation: ask your child who – or what – they think might be living underground.

Ask your child to draw a picture of the underground scene. Grab some sticky tape and paper to create a simple lift-the-flap picture to reveal the hidden inhabitants.

Children will enjoy spotting the missing red ball (a fun way to develop their visual literacy).  Extend the game by choosing a ball or some other toy to hide and take turns to find it.

The Something by Rebecca Cobb(Macmillan, 2014)Good to Read for:Developing curiosity about the worldEncouraging imaginationDiversifying your child’s bookshelf Copyright © 2014 Rebecca Cobb (Text & Illustrations)From THE SOMETHING by Rebecca Cobb(Macmillan Children’s Books) VISIT REBECCA COBB'S WEBSITE GOOD TO READ

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DANGEROUS! by Tim Warnes

Poles Apart by Jeanne Willis & Jarvis

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