The co-op bookstore for avid readers
Book Cover for: Just a Worm, Marie Boyd

Just a Worm

Marie Boyd

Reader Score

85%

85% of readers

recommend this book

After being called "just a worm" by two children, Worm embarks on a journey around the garden to prove them wrong. Debut author-illustrator Marie Boyd seamlessly incorporates concepts of nature, natural selection, habitats, and interdependence in this picture book beautifully illustrated with a cut-paper technique called quilling.

Worm isn't "just a worm," no matter what anyone says. Worm is special! Right? Worm sets out across the garden to prove it, interviewing one garden inhabitant after another. Butterfly seems to have all kinds of important qualities--as do Snail, Dragonfly, Ladybug, and Spider. But what can Worm do? What makes Worm special? Maybe Worm is just a worm after all . . . and what's so bad about that!

This STEAM-themed picture book explores the many wonderful and unique ways in which Worm and friends contribute to the garden and work together to make it grow. Just a Worm celebrates everyone's individuality and highlights the importance of interdependence--how it's necessary for a stable, collaborative, and healthy environment. Using the ancient craft of quilling, Marie Boyd meticulously created each illustration out of strips of colored paper that she shaped, layered, and glued to produce a lush three-dimensional world.

Just a Worm is a great read-aloud for family sharing and is a terrific choice for classrooms where the concepts of nature and the natural world are introduced, as well as for teaching social skills such as collaboration and empathy.

Includes a quilling craft for young readers, facts about earthworms, a glossary, and a special message to readers from Worm.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Greenwillow Books
  • Publish Date: Mar 14th, 2023
  • Pages: 32
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 10.10in - 9.20in - 0.40in - 0.95lb
  • EAN: 9780063212565
  • Recommended age: 04-08
  • Categories: Animals - Insects, Spiders, etc.Science & Nature - EnvironmentConcepts - Size & Shape

More books to explore

Book Cover for: The Grasshopper & the Ants, Jerry Pinkney
Book Cover for: Leaf Man, Lois Ehlert
Book Cover for: Two Bad Ants, Chris Van Allsburg
Book Cover for: Honeybee: The Busy Life of APIs Mellifera, Candace Fleming
Book Cover for: The Beetle Book, Steve Jenkins
Book Cover for: Diary of a Worm, Doreen Cronin
Book Cover for: I, Fly: The Buzz about Flies and How Awesome They Are, Bridget Heos
Book Cover for: Color Zoo Board Book: A Caldecott Honor Award Winner, Lois Ehlert
Book Cover for: Dot the Ladybug: The Missing Dot, Kallie George
Book Cover for: What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?: A Caldecott Honor Award Winner, Steve Jenkins
Book Cover for: Dot the Ladybug: The Missing Dot, Kallie George
Book Cover for: Ultimate Bug Rumble (Who Would Win?): Volume 17, Jerry Pallotta
Book Cover for: Ten Little Caterpillars, Bill Martin
Book Cover for: Round, Jennifer Ward
Book Cover for: The World and Everything in It, Kevin Henkes

About the Author

Boyd, Marie: -

Marie Boyd studied chemistry in college and is currently a law professor at the University of South Carolina. An expert in cosmetics and food regulation, she loves spending time outside, whipping up new creations in the kitchen, and--of course--quilling! Just a Worm is her first book for children. Marie Boyd currently lives in Columbia, South Carolina, with her family.

What people are saying

twitter.com
twitter.com
Show more

Praise for this book

"The cleverness of this story lies in its lighthearted, effective dissemination of information about various insects as well as earthworms. . . . The stunning illustrations are done in quilled paper--a centuries-old technique that involves assembling strips of colored paper into shapes--which adds sparkle and originality. . . . An engaging, informative narrative." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Boyd takes readers on a journey through a spring garden as a worm tries to discover what makes it special. Along the way, it speaks to various bugs and insects about their own talents before finding its own. . . . The information works best with preschoolers, who will love the standout in the book: gorgeous paper quilled artwork, which makes the garden jump off the page. . . . A lovely first work, and a talent to watch." -- School Library Journal

"An earthworm determinedly attempts to debunk the idea that it's 'just a worm' in this educational tribute. . . . Boyd's scenes consist primarily of three-dimensional paper art, which features elaborate quilling techniques. The wiggler (and the reader) eventually come to appreciate the unique role its kind plays in helping make a garden grow." -- Publishers Weekly