The Little Worm Book: 2

by Allan Ahlberg

Amusing information on types of worms, worm care and history, and points to look for when buying worms is illustrated with pictures marked by their zany wit

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Gardening

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 1979

About the author

Allan Ahlberg was one of the UK's most acclaimed and successful authors of children's books - including the best-selling Jolly Postman series. Born in Croydon in 1938, he was educated at Sunderland Technical College. Although he dreamed of becoming a writer since the age of twelve, his route to that goal was somewhat circuitous. Other jobs along the way included postman (not an especially jolly one, he recalls), gravedigger, plumber, and teacher.

Ahlberg wrote his first book when he was thirty-seven, after a decade of teaching - a profession that he maintains is "much harder" than being a writer. He says that if he hadn't become a writer, he would have loved to be a soccer player. He was married for many years to fellow children's author Janet Ahlberg, with whom he often worked. Their daughter, Jessica Ahlberg, is also a children's author.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I am just not in the mood, but to be perfectly honest and truthful, both my adult self and even more so my inner child have not really found Alan and Janet Ahlberg's 1979 The Worm Book all that engaging (and actually more than a trifle if not totally tedious in scope, rather annoyingly disorganised, and most certainly not in any manner a book that somehow is meant to actually describe and focus on worms as animals).

Sure, Janet Ahlberg's illustrations for The Worm Book, they are colourfully expressive, often very much deliberately humorous and as such also do manage to mostly successfully mirror her husband Alan's presented text. But personally speaking, I have indeed found The Worm Book rather majorly and frustratingly distracting, and the way that The Worm Book seemingly tries to imitate and parody a typical non fiction know-how tome on worms not really in any manner entertaining or fun and delightful for me, but rather and yes indeed in my humble opinion, both Alan Ahlberg's text and Janet Ahlberg's artwork for The Worm Book, they are at best just massively artificially funny. And well, since artificial and forced humour is the one thing that especially my inner child totally and utterly despises with regard to picture books, sorry, but for me both textually and aesthetically, visually, The Worm Book has been a major disappointment, a huge let-down and only a two star rating (and with my adult self also finding some of Janet Ahlberg's illustrations for The Worm Book cruelly animal unfriendly and in particular those circus themed illustrative spreads and that for some of the pictures, Janet Ahlberg actually has her depicted worms obviously sporting Native American costumes and totally making me squirm with huge discomfort and even fury).

Now would I still recommend The Worm Book? Well, I do admit that humour is something entirely personal and that there might well be some if not in fact many potential readers and/or listeners who could find the humour presented by the Ahlbergs in The Worm Book organic and natural even though I totally am finding the opposite, even though for me almost all of The Worm Book is not funny at all but instead majorly grating like fingernails scraping down that proverbial chalkboard. So yes, do check out The Worm Book for yourself if you want to (as The Worm Book is available on Open Library) although I really must insist on pointing out that especially the depicted worms dressed as Native Americans are majorly and totally politically incorrect in my opinion and as such also not really appropriate for and in today's world, therefore do please consider this if considering sharing The Worm Book with children.

[Luca · Rating 5 out of 5]

xd egy klasszikus

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

the overarching story arc, the character development, and the time skips really tie the entire story together. unexpected plot twists however a satisfying read

[Glory · Rating 5 out of 5]

My siblings and I adored this book when we were young. The worms throughout history is ingenious. We loved reading the book and being inspired by all the creative ways the authors/illustrator displayed worms, different species, all sorts of ways worms are useful, how worms have helped humanity, ect... Once you read this book, you will find it disarmingly charming and the illustrations will tickle your imagination.

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty much the best book about worms that I've read all month.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely some racist parts, which you think would be easy to avoid in a book about worms, but here we are. Otherwise, I love this book, especially the worms experiencing delusions and depression. Bless up to them.

[Rhi Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this in my old bedroom & I am never letting it leave my side again. Potentially the best book EVER x3638379

[Jellygiraffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic.

[allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favourite book ever

[ArcticDunk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zseniális! Egyszerűen zseniális! Szerintem lehetetlen megállni nevetés nélkül. Egy humoros "katalógus" a kukacokról.

[Miina Lindberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny!

[Rosie :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

life changing, in tears by the end

[Benito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una obra maestra del surrealismo alucinado. Sin duda se trata de un libro en clave que los rosacruces codificaron para transmitir a los milenios futuros las claves de todo el conocimiento pasado, presente y (quizá) futuro.
O algo así.

[Peter Randles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pre-school library was the only space available on a Tuesday afternoon for singing lessons, and through some self created initiation process, everyone who began singing lessons read The Worm Book. Why you may ask? Because this book is simple and simply wonderful. The art style and writing are clearly directed at the children, to amuse and stimulate, but at the core of it this book is written for the adult teacher to enjoy also. The book is very witty even if in short sentence delivery that most children could manage, and both children and adults can enjoy this read. For educational value The Worm Book may not reach too high, but for fast, humorous satisfaction, it comes with my wholehearted recommendation.

[Michael Earp · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my newest, most favorite-ist books ever. I must have it! It may be out of print but everything about it is genius.

[Marianna Monaco · Rating 3 out of 5]

good info on worm composting

[Carlo Mayer]

Finiti