Picture books in order

Work, Work, Work (2006) is a picture book written and illustrated by Daniel Quinn about a busy gopher who tunnels beneath an enchanted land he never sees.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Work, Work, Work 2006 Daniel Quinn Buy

Work, Work, Work is an unusual entry in Daniel Quinn’s bibliography. Published in 2006 by Steerforth, it is a picture book that Quinn both wrote and illustrated. The story follows a gopher who spends every day tunneling underground beneath an enchanted landscape, never once looking up to see what is happening on the surface above him.

The book has only a sentence or two on each page, with the illustrations doing most of the storytelling. While the gopher digs, all sorts of odd and magical events play out overhead. The format invites children to explore the pictures and describe what the gopher is missing, turning each page into a small conversation. It is a long way from the philosophical dialogues of Ishmael, but it carries a quiet echo of Quinn’s interest in what people fail to notice about the world around them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Picture series?

There are one books in the Picture series, published in 2006.

What is the first book in the Picture series?

The first book in the Picture series is Work, Work, Work, published in 2006.

Did Daniel Quinn illustrate Work, Work, Work himself?

Yes, Quinn both wrote and illustrated the book. The colorful, detailed illustrations show the strange and magical things happening above ground while the gopher burrows below, oblivious to it all. The format was designed to be interactive, with children spotting and describing the scenes the gopher is missing.

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