Total Pageviews

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Yucky Worms, written by Vivian French and illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg. Candlewick, Random House. 2009. $21.00 ages 5 and up


"There's still a lot of goodness left in the things a worm eats, and when the goodness comes out again as poop, it helps plants to grow BIG and STRONG. And as the worms move around, under and on top of the soil, the poop gets spread around the garden."

Insects I am not so keen on, but I don't mind worms. That is where our young narrator and I differ. Grandma loves the little critters but her grandson cannot abide them. He wants them thrown away. Grandma is appalled. She is keen to have him realize the goodness that worms bring to gardens and flower beds. She begins a lesson in learning when they put a worm in the dirt and watch it tunnel underground. Grandma patiently explains the many advantages of having worms work their magic, while burrowing in the dirt.

As she describes their work and the benefits they bring to our world, she dispels a few of the myths that her grandson has to share. They watch and listen and there are many discoveries to be made. Much of the information shared comes in the story; however, the author chooses to add much more as we make our way through the pages of this very enlightening book. There are captions to describe the parts of the earthworm's body, informative sentences to confirm and expand upon Grandma's knowledge, humorous, detailed drawings and sidebars, too. In the end readers are invited to become 'wormologists' and learn even more than has been shared here. It adds so much fun and helps young researchers make their own discoveries with a little help and some fine suggestions.

No comments:

Post a Comment