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The Big Fat Worm
New Yorker artist Russo's graphic designs boldly illustrate this appealing circular tale of a big fat worm who almost gets eaten by the big fat bird. The bird in turn escapes from a big fat cat, who then scoots up a tall tree just steps ahead of a big fat dog. The dog settles down to chew his bone, the cat falls asleep in the sun, and the bird swoops back to the now-tranquil scene where it once again spies the big fat worm. Both text and art convey the nonmenacing adventure the cheerful banter between each pair of adversaries sets an appropriate tone and children will enjoy the humor in each comeuppance. The rhythmic repetitions of the text, coupled with the striking simplicity of the art, make this a particularly good choice for reading aloud. Ages 2-7.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
24 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
2 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Van Laan
45 books20 followersNancy Van Laan was born in Baton Rouge, La. Her father was a colonel in the US Air Force, and the family moved frequently as Van Laan was growing up. She began making up stories to pass the time on long car trips. Although Van Laan had a learning disability, she loved to read. She began drawing and writing poetry as a child and enjoyed illustrating her own stories. Van Laan also loved ballet and began taking lessons at the age of nine. By age seventeen, she had her own ballet company in Birmingham that performed on a weekly program broadcast on Alabama Educational TV (now Alabama Public Television). Van Laan’s dancing career ended after an injury she sustained as a student at Sullins College in Bristol, Va. After completing her AA degree at Sullins, she enrolled at the University of Alabama, earning her BA in radio and television in 1961.
Van Laan moved to New York after college. She worked briefly at an advertising company and then joined ABC-TV where she worked as a network censor from 1962 to 1966. Van Laan began writing at this time and also studied art. After her first two children were born, she resigned from ABC and began painting professionally, creating murals for schools and private clients. She earned an MFA in theater from Rutgers University in 1979 and wrote two plays which were performed regionally. Van Laan moved to eastern Pennsylvania where she taught English at a private boarding school from 1984 to 1989. She also taught creative writing at Rutgers from 1986 to 1989. Van Laan published her first book, The Big Fat Worm, in 1987. Two years later, she left teaching to write full time. Since then, Van Laan has published over two dozen books. One of these, Rainbow Crow, was featured on the PBS television series Reading Rainbow. Van Laan lives and writes in Doylestown, Pa.
Van Laan moved to New York after college. She worked briefly at an advertising company and then joined ABC-TV where she worked as a network censor from 1962 to 1966. Van Laan began writing at this time and also studied art. After her first two children were born, she resigned from ABC and began painting professionally, creating murals for schools and private clients. She earned an MFA in theater from Rutgers University in 1979 and wrote two plays which were performed regionally. Van Laan moved to eastern Pennsylvania where she taught English at a private boarding school from 1984 to 1989. She also taught creative writing at Rutgers from 1986 to 1989. Van Laan published her first book, The Big Fat Worm, in 1987. Two years later, she left teaching to write full time. Since then, Van Laan has published over two dozen books. One of these, Rainbow Crow, was featured on the PBS television series Reading Rainbow. Van Laan lives and writes in Doylestown, Pa.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 27, 2020
Richie’s Picks: THE BIG FAT WORM by Nancy Van Laan and Marisabino Russo, ill., Alfred A. Knopf, 1987, 32p., ISBN: 0-394-88763-8
"...and the big fat bird said I'M GOING TO EAT YOU UP
and the big fat worm said OH NO YOU'RE NOT
and the big fat bird said OH YES I AM
and the worm said NO..."
I discovered THE BIG FAT WORM at the library, back in my early days as a preschool director. Over subsequent years, it was a story I had kids act out hundreds of times. No exaggeration! When it comes to them participating, it is pretty easy to get quartets of little kids as young as two-and-a-half or three years old to come take their turns up in front of their preschool mates, pretending to be the big fat worm, bird, cat, or dog, and using their loudest voices to tell each other NO!
Saying NO! -- whether it is to one's peers, parents, other authority figures, or to the government -- is one of those essential skills that are best learned sooner rather than later. Sure, it is so frustrating as a parent or teacher to be on the receiving end of that NO! when it feels like it is being given in response to a legitimate request. But in the long run, it is a good thing, and so worth it -- being, of course, that you cannot always be there to protect them -- to know that your kids have a bit of practice at forcefully saying NO!
This fun, repetitive pattern story is a very fun way to practice that skill. I love how the action goes around in a big circle so that the story ends right back where it began.
“...and the big fat bird said HI WORM!”
Marisabina Russo’s illustrations are bold and colorful, and the smiling worm is a crowd pleaser.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
"...and the big fat bird said I'M GOING TO EAT YOU UP
and the big fat worm said OH NO YOU'RE NOT
and the big fat bird said OH YES I AM
and the worm said NO..."
I discovered THE BIG FAT WORM at the library, back in my early days as a preschool director. Over subsequent years, it was a story I had kids act out hundreds of times. No exaggeration! When it comes to them participating, it is pretty easy to get quartets of little kids as young as two-and-a-half or three years old to come take their turns up in front of their preschool mates, pretending to be the big fat worm, bird, cat, or dog, and using their loudest voices to tell each other NO!
Saying NO! -- whether it is to one's peers, parents, other authority figures, or to the government -- is one of those essential skills that are best learned sooner rather than later. Sure, it is so frustrating as a parent or teacher to be on the receiving end of that NO! when it feels like it is being given in response to a legitimate request. But in the long run, it is a good thing, and so worth it -- being, of course, that you cannot always be there to protect them -- to know that your kids have a bit of practice at forcefully saying NO!
This fun, repetitive pattern story is a very fun way to practice that skill. I love how the action goes around in a big circle so that the story ends right back where it began.
“...and the big fat bird said HI WORM!”
Marisabina Russo’s illustrations are bold and colorful, and the smiling worm is a crowd pleaser.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
September 15, 2013
Well-written and it is easy to teach children to read. It was actually one of my favorite books to read with my children when they were growing up. My daughter is in college studying to be a teacher and has to have a first grader read a book tomorrow. Upon looking through the children's books that we own, I chose this one. It helps with sight words and repetition of the words in the story not to mention the humor.
June 27, 2011
Cute story of a big fat worm threatened by a big fat bird who was threatened by a big fat cat.....ONe said NO, the other said YES and the former gets away. Easy to read aloud and fun. Very simple illustrations in bright colors.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews