Theory #4: The Other Side of the World Theory Hence the “same, yet different” vibe of the house and yard at the end. In this scenario (credit to my wife for this one), the boys return to the exact same place they started, but their epic journey of digging (as epic journeys tend to do) forever changed how they see the world. Proponents of the Mount Weather conspiracy (who believe there is a shadow government operating in a mountain in Virginia) will likely be drawn to this interpretation. Sam and Dave have entered a giant reality show. The sky isn’t the sky – it’s a giant dome with lighting orchestrated by Ed Harris.

Basically, if you’ve seen the movie The Truman Show, it’s exactly like that. The boys fall into an underground world built to resemble their own. Theory #2: The Truman Show-esque Civilization Theory Oh, and what’s that on the first page of the book? An apple tree? *cue crazy guy voice* GARDEN OF EDEN ANYONE?! Thus when the dog/Jesus digs down at the end of the book, the boys land in purgatory.

In this theory, the dog that accompanies Sam and Dave is Jesus, trying to lead the boys in the right direction (notice that the dog is always pointing the way to reach the jewels), yet they don’t listen and end up missing the precious stones every time. I will now present six theories on what exactly happens at the end of Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, from least likely to most likely. Really, one of the best open-ended picture book conclusions in recent memory. It has some excellent broad humor, as well as one heck of a challenging ending that will make readers think.

Sam & dave dig a hole