The Tunneler Tunnels in the Tunnel [Ready-to-Read]
by Michael Rex; illus. by the author
Primary    Simon Spotlight    32 pp.
7/25    9781665962100    $18.99
Paper ed.  9781665962094    $5.99
e-book ed.  9781665962117    $5.99

A rhythmic, repetitive text and cartoon illustrations anchor this jovial outing for kids beginning to dig into reading. “The tunneler tunnels in the tunnel.” In a spread that shows what’s happening both above and below the ground, a penguin laboriously digs its way up into a garden where “the gardener gardens in the garden.” Then Penguin pops up on a farm where “the farmer farms on the farm.” Pattern established, Rex builds anticipation and offers less-confident readers practice with similar letter combinations and sounds. Spreads are packed with detail (the myriad objects Penguin encounters may bring to mind Barnett and Klassen’s Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, rev. 11/14), and readers will notice Penguin delivering sheets of orange paper adorned with yellow stars. What are those about? Gentle humor gives children more to appreciate, particularly when Penguin surfaces in inopportune spots, such as a bank vault. Each page-turn deepens the sense of community as readers see characters sharing hot dogs at a barbecue, cheering at a baseball game, and shopping for groceries. It’s no surprise when at book’s end everyone who’s been invited by the orange papers gathers while the “rocker rocks on the rock” and the “dancers dance at the dance.” Clever, entertaining fun.

From the September/October 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.