The Worm (Disgusting Critters)

In one of two books kicking off the aptly (and wonderfully) named Disgusting Creatures series, Gravel (How Do You Doodle?) explores the long and short of worms, with a big emphasis on humor. A pink earthworm who is prone to shouting pops up repeatedly, at one point insisting, "I am not disgusting!" after Gravel describes his species as "basically a long digestive tract inside a muscle tube. It's that muscle tube that's slimy and disgusting." The boldly colored cartoons and handwritten display fonts make this a very appealing package, though the images can be at slight cross-purposes with the text (Gravel gives the friendly crew of worms eyes and smiley faces, even though readers learn halfway in that worms don't actually have eyes). But those idiosyncrasies in no way diminish the enjoyment of the book as Gravel tightrope-walks the line between gross and funny--as in a silhouetted image of a dog that shows two parasitic white worms sitting down to a meal in its belly. Says one, "Pass the salt, please!" Simultaneously available: The Fly. Ages 6-9. (Mar.)

Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 1-3--These easy-to-read entrants feature caricature-like cartoon illustrations that appealingly depict worms and flies. The brief text imparts information and is accompanied by chatty asides from the subjects ("I'll have the garbage juice soup for starters..." states a fly as it scans a restaurant menu, while an earthworm, after being told that humans use worms as bait and that some even enjoy eating them, protests, "Delicious? No, no, no!"). Readers will find these titles fun to peruse and will pick up some useful material on the subjects, along with a tasty soupcon of icky-ness.--Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The boldly colored cartoons and handwritten display fonts make this a very appealing package .... Gravel tightrope-walks the line between gross and funny. - Publishers Weekly

"These easy-to-read entrants feature caricature-like cartoon illustrations that appealingly depict worms and flies. The brief text imparts information and is accompanied by chatty asides from the subjects .... Readers will find these titles fun to peruse and will pick up some useful material on the subjects, along with a tasty soupçon of icky-ness." - School Library Journal

"The narrative is both informative and playful, balancing each worm-fact with a pithy commentary from the worms themselves .... The Worm seamlessly introduces interesting and important worm-facts .... and it does so in a medium that is delightful and downright charming. What's even better is that it is available in both English and French, making it a perfect candidate for any bilingual classroom or home." - The Deakin Review of Children's Literature

Writing a science book for kids is tricky-finding the balance between pushing the facts without overplaying the gross-out is tough. Elise Gravel's The Worm pulls this off .... It's part of a series and we're hoping the other books are just as good." - The Globe & Mail