Diary of a Worm

A first person narrative from a funny, intelligent boy worm.

Author: Doreen Cronin Illustrator: Harry Bliss Pages: 32 Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books Published Date: 11/17/2003 Genre: Fiction - Picture Book HC Price: $15.99 Publisher's Recommended Reading Level: 4-8 Read Aloud: 4+ Read Alone: 6+

Common Sense Note

This is a humorous and entertaining introduction to the concept of point of view for the youngest readers.

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Marigny Dupuy

Wonderfully illustrated in full-color, cartoon style, this droll story is both smart and funny, and will amuse young children as well as help them see the world from a new perspective. The main character is endearing in his earnest attempt to record his life both above and below ground.

Author Doreen Cronin is also the author of the Caldecott Honor Book, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type, and the New York Times bestseller, Giggle, Quack, Quack. Harry Bliss is a New Yorker cartoonist and illustrator of the New York Times bestseller, A Fine, Fine School.

From the book:
July 29.
Three good things about being a worm:
1. I never have to go to the dentist.
2. I never get in trouble for tracking mud through the house.
3. I never have to take a bath.

Plot Summary:

Written as a selection of pages from a worm's diary dating from March 20 to August 1st, the first person narrative gives the reader an idea of the daily life of a funny, intelligent boy worm. He shares his family's pride about the important role that worms play in caring for the earth and loves his life, although he can see that there are plusses and minuses to being a worm.

Some of his amusing adventures include trying to teach a spider friend to dig (all of the spider's legs get stuck in the dirt) and then discovering that worms cannot hang upside down like spiders; hiding from shovels during fishing season; having to be vigilant about hopscotch-playing children; forgetting his school lunch and having to write lines ("I will not eat my homework. I will not eat my homework ...); doing the hokey pokey at the school dance ("You put your head in. You put your head out. You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself about ... That's all we could do."), and several more.