The Very True Legend of the Mongolian Death Worms

by Sandra Fay, Sandra Fay (Illustrator)

Overview

A 2024 Washington Children's Choice Award Nominee

A funny picture book celebrating the universal truth about wanting to be loved just as you are, fangs and all, inspired by the real-life legend of Mongolian Death Worms.

Like the ongoing search for Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster, scientists have searched the Gobi Desert for these giant worms. Reported sightings claim that their skin is blood red; their fangs razor sharp. The worms are supposedly poisonous and electrifying . . . or are they?

In this funny story, we meet the Mongolian Death Worm family: Beverly, Trevor, Neville and Kevin. In spite of their deadly reputation, they’re determined to make nice and win over the other animals. Their overtures of friendship are . . . not reciprocated. But when disaster strikes, it’s the Mongolian Death Worm family to the rescue!

With additional information about the legend, this book is perfect for storytime and discussions of legends and science. Perfect for fans of Ben Clanton, Sandra Fay's The Very True Legend of the Mongolian Death Worms will leave readers of all ages laughing and heartwarmed!

Godwin Books

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250776082
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	02/22/2022
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.95(w) x 11.35(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	AD610L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sandra Fay is an author-illustrator who uses potatoes and paint to make art. She is the creator of The Very True Legend of the Mongolian Death Worms. She lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with her husband, two daughters, and cat.

Sandra Fay is an author-illustrator who uses potatoes and paint to make art. She is the creator of The Very True Legend of the Mongolian Death Worms. She lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with her husband, two daughters, and cat.

Editorial Reviews

"Fay makes an impressive debut: the narrative voice is assured and beguilingly mock-dramatic, making for a well-paced readaloud; pastel-hued art . . . has a bold, flattened perspective that amplifies the goofiness of every vignette." —Publishers Weekly

"Bug-eyed, sharp-toothed, and quite slobbery, the worm family manages to be hideous and ridiculously adorable." —The Bulletin

"A humorous story of the importance of seeing past first impressions." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2021-10-13
A family of Mongolian death worms attempts to right their reputation.

Mongolian death worms are notoriously “the most terrifying and deadly creatures.” Legend has it they are even poisonous and capable of releasing electric shocks in dry atmospheres. With their pointy teeth and unsettling mouths, which appear perpetually open and drip with green drool, a family of four death worms brainstorms ideas in an effort to improve their unfortunate optics and change the minds and hearts of their Gobi Desert–dwelling neighbors. Maybe name tags or snazzy outfits will appear welcoming. And everyone loves cupcakes, right? Each attempt to impress the neighbors fails, but when a natural disaster strikes, their inherent skills as Mongolian death worms prove heroic. Fay’s story of a hopeful family of unsightly death worms addresses common themes, including the battling of preconceived notions and accepting others. The worms, with their googly eyes and expressive faces, communicate in short quips via comics-style speech bubbles, enhancing the book’s lighthearted tone. The illustrations, produced with potato prints and watercolors, depict the death worms in textured pinks (with lime-green drool), juxtaposed against the neutral palette of the desert setting and the cool tones of the other animals who live there. Brief backmatter with source notes gives readers some context for the legend of the Mongolian death worm and notes scientific debate about the creatures’ existence. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A humorous story of the importance of seeing past first impressions. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews