Worm, a squiggle of white paper, overhears the conversation of two children, shown as giant, blocky shoes. One says "Ew!" and the other responds "It's just a worm." Worm is indignant at being dismissed and begins to make its way through the garden, interrogating other creatures as to what they can do. Worm meets spiders, a caterpillar, butterfly, ladybugs, bees and a snail and each one has a special ability, from pollination to sealing their shell shut with slime. Finally, when the snail remarks that what Worm can do is "cool," Worm realizes all the things it contributes to the garden and proudly declares "I'm a worm!" on the last page, where it is shown as a pink paper squiggle, as on the front cover.
The text is a little clunky, but also uneven - it jumps back and forth between other creatures' abilities and whether or not they help the garden grow. The caterpillar's ability to metamorphose is mentioned, but not its voracious devouring of plants. The ladybug eating aphids is featured, but not its metamorphosis. Viewed from a fiction perspective, the message that Worm is only worthwhile because of the things it can do, is discouraging, but not unusual. The most unique element of the book is the quilled paper art; the simple colors do create a rather bland and lifeless garden, but the intricate details of each flower and leaf are interesting. Back matter talks a little more about worms and includes a paper quilling project.
Verdict: If looking for informational or nonfiction books about worms and garden critters, readers will do better with Freedman's Carl and the meaning of life and Messner's Up in the garden, down in the dirt. However, if you have room for additional titles on the importance of worms, or want a supplementary title for an art project with quilling, this is a nice addition.
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