Wormy Worm

Thingy Things

by Chris Raschka

Two new series of small picture books introduce concepts and sports, respectively. The paper-over-board, hand-size Thingy Things series by Chris Raschka uses alliteration and word repetition to build reading skills; his swift brushstrokes and calligraphic lines match the text's minimalism. The main character of Moosey Moose is mad because he wants his long pants; that of Wormy Worm gleefully wiggles; Whaley Whale describes a game of hide-and-seek; and the hero of Sluggy Slug is downright sluggish -- he simply won't go.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals

24 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 2000

About the author

Chris Raschka is the illustrator of The Hello, Goodbye Window, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal. He is also the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book Yo! Yes?; Charlie Parker Played Be Bop; Mysterious Thelonious; John Coltrane’s Giant Steps; Can’t Sleep; and The Magic Flute. He lives with his wife and son in New York City.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

chris raschka is phoning it in. up until this point, he has been such a find (a find that sarah montambo handed me) and it has been true love. however, this is our first couples spat. i called him lazy and told him to get off the couch and write an actual book not just pages of "ha ha ha hee hee hee ho ho ho hee hee ha" etc. and he was all like "who cares, leave me alone, i'm a rock star - they are just kids books, it's what the kids like," and i accused him of losing his edge and becoming complacent and he threw a couch cushion at me. but really - you must agree - this is a lazy offering. back to the drawing board, honey!

come to my blog!

[RAMAKRISHNA KOMMARAJU · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you read this fella book

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't going to write a review because it feels weird to write a review longer than the book itself, and I already lapped that a dozen times over this morning. But karen's review was so sadly misguided it wasn't possible to ignore. She acuses the creator of laziness, of phoning it in, just because of the "ha ha ha"s and cetera. So much for her discernment. She has completely missed the magic Raschka creates, the mood he elicits, out of such superhuman restraint with text. Please consider for yourself: Sluggy Slug is a sly, subversive story of resistance, a Bartleby the Scrivener for the 21st century child. Contrast that with Wormy Worm, which despite a gross similarity in morphology of critter, is nothing alike. Wormy Worm is a celebration of joyful anarchy, rich in hilarity and glee, a gigantic guffaw of a book. This is wriggling and giggling gaiety with a plot twist in which the natural order is suspended and all becomes chaos. For a moment.


Library copy

[Belise Michel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a great tool to use when introducing the letter w, worms, words that starts with a "w". It is a simple book that has different sounds you can make while reading it aloud to a class. This is a great book to put in the library center, art center, and or science center to allow the children to explore the book on their own.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wormy Worm wiggles around until you can't tell where he begins or ends! Lots of sound words (i.e. ho, ho, ho; hee, hee, hee; ha, ha, ha). So cute, very simple (fun illustration paired with simple text), great for sharing with the toddler crowd. Love this series of books, they crack me up!

[Christine Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for boys who are just starting their reading endevor.

As Wormy Worm wiggles and woggles, it is hard to tell which end is front and which end is back. This book has very few words to a page and basic illustrations.

[Adrianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Wormy Worm" is an entertaining book that is a quick read. This book introduces the reader to the "w" sound and it would be great for children, especially for toddlers. The book also exposes the reader to sound words such as hee hee hee and ho ho ho. I enjoyed reading this cute book.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet!! Great for my 2 year old nephew!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is Wormy Worm's front his back? Or is his back his front? Or is the beginning the end? Who knows???

[Cyndy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wormy Worm is a wiggler.