We Dig Worms!: TOON Level 1

by Kevin McCloskey

Overview

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!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781935179801
Publisher:	TOON Books
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

★ 03/09/2015
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. Painting on brown paper bags, McCloskey offers a crash course on worm physiology, habits, and environmental impact, focusing on garden-variety earthworms. “When worms dig, twisting and turning, they make the earth... earthier,” he writes in a four-panel sequence as a pink worm dips and turns on its way underground. A group of children asks questions on behalf of readers (“Mr Worm? Why do you come out after the rain?”), and the presence of a bluebird—is it hungry or just friendly?—offers a fun hint of tension. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

03/01/2015
K-Gr 2—Earthworms are a common and curious encounter for young children and in this book McCloskey sets about providing a general understanding of what earthworms do. Though a fair amount of basic facts are incorporated into the text, some of the phrases may raise more questions than answers, including the ability of earthworms to feel light through their skin and to move and breath easier when the soil is wet. And then there are phrases which will seem perplexing to a young audience, such as "When worms dig, twisting and turning, they make the earth… earthier." The acrylic and gouache illustrations painted on recycled paper bags gives the illustrations an appealing texture and the mix of speech bubbles and captioned text helps to draw kids' eyes to various details on the page. Otherwise, the content feels disjointed and lacking a follow-through on some of the ideas introduced. VERDICT Consider as an additional selection for those interested in backyard exploring.—Matthew C. Winner, Ducketts Lane Elementary School, Elkridge, MD

School Library Journal

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

An Eisner Best Publication for Early Readers Nominee 2016

School Library Journal Best Books of 2015

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

A 2016 Texas 2x2 Reading List Selection

A recommended reading list for children age 2 to grade 2

"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

"By focusing on the questions kids ask and the way they ask them, the book moves along quickly and provides accurate, intriguing information without getting bogged down in too much detail...An excellent primer for worm enthusiasts and an excellent easy reader for graphic-novel fans." - Booklist

"Beginning readers who tunnel through this upbeat first introduction will “dig” them too." - Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher