Just a Worm

An earthworm determinedly attempts to debunk the idea that it’s “just a worm” in this educational tribute. To prove its worth, the subject—rendered in pen and ink—attempts comparison, interviewing various other creatures about their impressive skills: “Oh. I can only dig and hide,” responds Worm after learning all about a butterfly. While Worm remains visually two-dimensional, 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 by providing the aeration that plants need, among other essential abilities. It’s a predictable, but no less encouraging, conclusion that offers an important takeaway about self-confidence. An activity and facts conclude. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)