I love gardening, especially in springtime, don’t you? I found a Perfect Picture Book that will inspire you and your littles to go play in the garden, and maybe find a worm or two.
Title: Just a Worm
Written & Illustrated By: Marie Boyd
Publisher/Date: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers/2023
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: worms, gardens, nature, self-esteem, science
Opening:
La, la, la, la…
Slop, slip, wiggle.
I’m taking a little twirl.
Dop, dip, squiggle.
I’m off to see the world.
Brief Synopsis: When a worm hears that he’s “just a worm,” he sets off to discover his true worth.
Links to Resources:
- Discover more about earthworms;
- List or draw a few things that make you special;
- How do you help make your family, school, or neighborhood better?
- Make a Quilled Butterfly using the instructions in the back matter;
- Visit Boyd’s website for more quilling ideas.
Why I Like this Book:
In this stunning picture book, worm overhears two children (depicted as two enormous pairs of sneakers) call him “just a worm”, and he sets off to discover his true worth. I love how Boyd incorporates the message to ignore disparaging remarks without being didactic.
But worm doesn’t ignore the remarks, at least not at first. Instead, he reasons that he can do “lots of things”. He then compares himself to other garden insects as he journeys through the garden. Not surprisingly, he can’t do what they can do.
This being a picture book, worm ultimately discovers what he can do. I won’t spoil the ending, but kids will love that it involves castings, aka, worm poop.
Boyd’s vibrant quilled illustrations are captivating for kids of all ages and encourage multiple readings.
A Note about Craft:
The unique quilled illustrations are the definite standout of Just a Worm. But the text is also so engaging, especially as Boyd has used first-person point-of-view with that first “person” being worm. And I love that this is a hero’s journey to discover what makes him “special” and why his community needs him.
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!