“Delightful book…humorous rhyming text…bright illustrations” – Ana Rodriguez for School Library Journal . A STEM book about a mixed race girl who responds to some unusual gifts—that happen to be alive.
Top 10 Best Books of 2011 “Works effortlessly on every level…museum-quality, collage-like artwork; this title raises the bar for all children’s picture books” – ForeWord Reviews. Kids love to find the hidden pictures (revealed in online extras; ages 3 – 7, preschool – second grade; Easy to read & level 1 ESOL/ESE).
Who’s giving worms anyway? Learn multiple nouns; vivid images of insects, reptiles, a cat, and a bat aid language comprehension. The perfect length book for kids (not too long for adults): 24 full-color illustrations. 180 words in verse for reluctant readers (double for bilingual) by best-selling, award-winning author and college media instructor Karl Beckstrand ( Great Cape o’ Colors —see all of Beckstrand’s 60+ multicultural books), illustrated by David Hollenbach. Look inside!
Get this bug book with bi-racial child (and some mammals) in Spanish or bilingual versions (8"x10" hard/soft cover, also an ebook). #3 in the Mini-mysteries for Minors series (stand-alone; previous titles not needed). Other Crumbs on the Stairs – Migas en las escaleras, Sounds in the House – Sonidos en la casa, Why Juan Can’t Sleep, It Came from Under the Highchair .
College media instructor Karl Beckstrand has lived abroad, interned for a Massachusetts publisher and for Congress in D.C. He earned a B.A. in journalism, an M.A. in international relations and conflict resolution, and a broadcast/film certificate. He’s been a technical recruiter in Silicon Valley, a Stanford Hospital chaplain, a Spanish interpreter for Angel Flight (aviator nonprofit), and a rock band front man. He is the best-selling and award-winning author/illustrator of 27 multicultural/multilingual books and more than 60 e-book titles. His western survival thriller, To Swallow the Earth, won a 2016 International Book Award, and his works have been lauded by Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, The Horn Book, and School Library Journal. Raised in Silicon Valley, he has worked with people from all continents (except Antarctica). His work reflects cultural diversity—not only in protagonists, but in collaborators (his illustrators hail from Latin America, Europe, and Asia). Since 2004, he has run Premio Publishing. Beckstrand has presented to Taiwan’s Global Leadership for Youth, city and state governments, festivals, and schools. His Y.A. stories, self-help, ebook mysteries, nonfiction, Spanish/bilingual, career, and STEM books feature ethnically diverse characters—and usually end with a twist. His work has appeared via: Amazon, Apple/iBooks, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Costco, Deseret Book, Follett, Ingram, Kobo, Papercrafts Magazine, SCRIBD, Target.com, The U.S. Congressional Record, Walmart, and https://PremioBooks.com
4.5★ “She doesn’t want the worms. She says they make her wiggle. She doesn’t like the spiders. She thinks they make her giggle.”
Each sentence also appears in Spanish, but without the clever rhymes. The rhymes in English are cute and read well. I’ll share a few pairs of pages. “The snails in pails are not quite to her liking”
Note how the words are colour-coded to match in the two languages. “Her wrinkled nose means ‘the beetle goes!’ The scorpion sends her hiking.”
A few more she turns her nose up at. “The charms of the snake elude her. The salamanders mute her. The pollywogs don’t suit her.”
“The cockroach could be cuter.”
“She likes the dance of the busy ants across the hummingbird feeder.”
“But the toad with the node made her hit the road.”
Surprise. . . ack! “She’s such a picky eater!”
But wait! There’s more! And it’s something many clever grown-ups have done to encourage picky eaters, although I have to admit I never attempted anything quite so extreme. “There really is edible stuff on this plate.”
If you can't see the pictures well enough, each of the items is actually made from something edible or food-related, like a candy wrapper.
There are some explanations in English at the beginning and end of this, but I gather the book is available in Spanish as well. I assume the rhymes are in Spanish while the English is just the translation.
This is cute and appealing – and what kid doesn’t like to horrify adults by reading a book like this to ‘scare’ them?
Thanks so much to the author for the copy for review. This was published several years ago, and I believe there are more similar ones. Hear hear! I’m a believer in teaching kids as early as possible that people speak different languages and aren’t stupid or slow-witted if they speak the child’s native language haltingly or with an accent. Sadly, a lot of adults don’t seem to understand this.
A delightful picture book with wonderful illustrations! I love the rhyming text and the fun vocabulary the author uses to tell the story. One of the things I love about this author is that his stories are written in both English and Spanish in the book which enables my kids to read excellent literature while also reinforcing the Spanish language skills they are learning at school. At the beginning of the book is a Spanish pronounciation guide to help you and your children be able to correctly pronounce the words! Fun story with great potential for "extended" learning!
She doesn’t want the worms or (the Spanish translation) Ella No Quiere los Gusanos is a children’s book with some rhymes that sound kind a singsong-y when read in English. It is made up of English and Spanish writing on each page and is full of bright colors. It is also written on a level appropriate for toddlers. It follows a little girl through different things that are offered to her and her reaction to them. There are things like worms, bumblebees, spiders, beetles, snakes, salamanders and many more. The art is cute and bright and children will like the tones. The writing is simple and nonsensical throughout the story and preschoolers will enjoy this book. The Spanish part of this book doesn’t make much sense because rhyming was deemed more important than a meaningful translation. It will probably confuse a Spanish-speaking child or adult.