We Dig Worms!: TOON Level 1

by Kevin McCloskey

Overview

★ "McCloskey comes not to bury worms (they can handle that themselves) but to praise them in a guide to annelids that manages to be reverent in its irreverence."–Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

What do worms do all day? How do they see? And why are they so cold and squishy? Find out by going on an underground tour through the hidden world of earthworms. Kevin McCloskey's book even shows readers what's happening inside a worm's body—brain, crop, gizzard, and more. The book takes young readers from "ew!" to "wow!" as they learn about the different ways worms work hard to help the earth. Kids may pick up many of the life science lessons contained here on their first read, but they'll return to We Dig Worms! again and again to rediscover its story. Deceptively simple, humble yet charming, this little book reaches surprising depths . . . just like, well, a worm!

Kevin McCloskey's bestselling Giggle and Learn series blends facts and fun to entertain young readers about common creatures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781935179801
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	04/14/2015
Series:	Giggle and Learn
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD450L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kevin McCloskey teaches illustration at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. He is married to a librarian who asked him to please create a fun yet educational book about worms for the children at her library.

Editorial Reviews

One of Toon's stylish comics-inflected early readers, this paean to the worm is a winning combination of facts and gross-out fun.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

2016 Eisner Nominee

Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Awards Nominated Title 2017-2018

School Library Journal Best Books of 2015

A 2016 Texas 2x2 Reading List Selection

"Beginning readers who tunnel through this upbeat first introduction will 'dig' them too."—Kirkus Reviews

"McCloskey comes not to bury worms (they can handle that themselves) but to praise them in a guide to annelids that manages to be reverent in its irreverence."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"This paean to the worm is a winning combination of facts and gross-out fun." – New York Times

"An excellent primer for worm enthusiasts and an excellent easy reader for graphic-novel fans." – Booklist

"My daughter (budding naturalist that she is) loved the detailed 'map of the worm' and was audibly astonished at several of the facts."—Jamie Greene for Geek Dad

"An adorable and interesting picture book for ages 4-8 that turns the worm “eww” factor into a sense of awe and respect for the hard-working cold-blooded creatures." – Wink Books

From the Publisher

2015-02-03
Beginning readers who tunnel through this upbeat first introduction will "dig" them too.After an opening look at several kinds of worm (including the candy sort), McCloskey drills down to the nitty-gritty on earthworms. He describes how they help soil with their digging and "poop" ("EEW!") and presents full-body inside and outside views with labeled parts. He also answers in the worms' collective voice such questions as "Why do you come out after the rain?" and "How big is the biggest worm in the world?" that are posed by a multiethnic cast of intent young investigators in the cartoon illustrations. A persistent but frustrated bluebird's "Yum, yum!!" and rejected invitations to lunch offer indirect references to worms as food sources, and reproductive details are likewise limited to oblique notes that worms have big families "born from cocoons." Single scenes mingle with short sequences of panels in pictures that are drawn on brown paper bags for an appropriately earthy look. Norma Dixon's Lowdown on Earthworms (2005) digs deeper into the subject, but this lays fertile groundwork for budding naturalists. (Informational picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews