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23rd out of 132 books
—
14 voters
There's a Hair in My Dirt!: A Worm's Story
Once upon a time in a place far away, lived a man named Gary Larson who used to draw cartoons. It was a cartoon that appeared for many years in daily newspapers and was loved by millions. (And was confusing to millions more.) But one day he stopped.
Gary went into hiding. He made a couple short films. He played his guitar. He threw sticks for his dogs. They threw some back....more
Gary went into hiding. He made a couple short films. He played his guitar. He threw sticks for his dogs. They threw some back....more
Paperback, 64 pages
Published
October 6th 1999
by Harper Perennial
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1,026)
Jun 06, 2011
Cheryl/Aradanryl
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Cheryl/Aradanryl by:
El Paso Public Library
Adult humor in a picture book format by Gary Larson of The Far Side Gallery. I couldn't help laughing at this twisted but hilarious story. Since I chose it solely based on the title (I was looking for picture books with worms), this was quite an unexpected surprise. A great example of picture books that are really for adults, not the little ones.
As funny as I found this book, it is definitely not a book I'd recommend for classrooms or children's sections of libraries since having a child go arou...more
As funny as I found this book, it is definitely not a book I'd recommend for classrooms or children's sections of libraries since having a child go arou...more
This, I think, is the most wierdest, most unique and odd book I have ever read. And I loved it. Its about a little worm who finds a hair in his dirt(hence, the title) and his dad goes on about how he should like to bea worm. It goes through a story about a random princess who goes on a walk through the forest and encounters things that turn out to be ironicly bad for her or the animal. It explains science in a hilarious, unique manner that can only beexplained as fantastic. Some people might fin...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Intriguingly illustrated and playfully written, this book captured my attention. Though short, it manages to make an important point about the necessity of understanding our environment, while avoiding becoming heavy-handed with this emphasis. The plot of the story is humorous, from the style of the illustrations to the intentionally ironic ending (I won't give it away here). A quick, but interesting read, I would recommend this book to anyone seeking a brief, yet thought-provoking read.
Mar 27, 2010
Ruby Fuenciado
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
everyone-must-read-books,
soooooooooo-good
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book is terrific for adults. Grown-ups can get more out of it than kids. I particularly love it when the blond girl feeds a gray squirrel and the book tells us that grey squirrels are a mean bunch that bully the native red squirrel. The picture shows a grey holding out an acorn in an open palm as a peace offering while surrounded by reds who are smoking cigarrettes and wearing shirts that say "I kicked Thumper's ass." It's a hoot!
A wonderful book recommended to me by Amy. A young worm becomes grossed out when he finds a hair in his dinner. Meanwhile, poor clueless Harriet is observed wandering around in the woods. She Loves Nature, but she just doesn't understand how it works. Daddy worm explains biological processes to his son, and we learn all about survival of the fittest, among other nature facts.
Clueless Harriet remains remain in the woods.
Clueless Harriet remains remain in the woods.
This one is written by the Far Side guy Gary Larson and it's just as hilarious. It's a fun and yet disturbing look on how us humans at times take for granted the world we live in.
A little worm complains about hair in his dirt and his dad and mom tell him all about the way the world is...and there's a twist at the end! Truly humorous and yet dead on!
A little worm complains about hair in his dirt and his dad and mom tell him all about the way the world is...and there's a twist at the end! Truly humorous and yet dead on!
As long as I am adding worm books.... This is one of my favorites. I read it to my 9th grade Earth Systems students too. My 4 year old loves it and my daughters think it is funny. It has a lot of good points and environmental issues in it. Don't forget that Gary Larsen (The Far Side author) is an Entomologyst (sp) (bug scientist) at heart!
My fellow science teacher at Hebron Middle School gave this to me to read.
Hilarious, and interesting.
Worms are important to the growth and condition of our soil.
I found it to renew my interest in life in the soil.
Great for any science class.
Hilarious, and interesting.
Worms are important to the growth and condition of our soil.
I found it to renew my interest in life in the soil.
Great for any science class.
*laughs* Now I know why Sarah Blackstone was traumatized after her dad read this to her as a kid. It's pure black humor. I mean, it ends with Harriet dying! It's amazing! XD
"loving Nature is not the same as understanding it" says ecologist, tree-hugger and very funny guy Larson. Ages 9 to 99 can learn & laugh out loud - I did!
Sep 19, 2008
Paige
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
adult/ young adult
Shelves:
adult-fiction,
picture-books
His usual twisted view of the world. Not a children's book, but I have my 9th graders read it every year to introduce Ecology.
From the creator of “The Far Side” Gary Larson is a hysterically funny yet gruesome tale that begins when a worm finds a hair in his dirt. In this story you experience love, nature, destruction, and cruelty. A worm finds a hair in his dirt which he spins off his regret for being a worm. His father then tells his a tale about a young woman and her interactions with life and nature to help his son understand his importance in being a worm. This was a tale that can make you laugh out loud and make...more
A single-page joke expanded to book length.
Aug 20, 2012
Tina
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
High school teachers
Recommended to Tina by:
Boss (Librarian)
Shelves:
fdr
I had seen this book laying around the circulation desk a few times and I thought (after having read nearly every Jon Scieszka book) that this was a primary book, so today when a teacher asked me to hold it for her I was utterly confused when the catalogue said it was in the high school area (I work in a school library in case you hadn't notice that) I thought we might've made a mistake when we order it but I got the book look through the pages and it looked just like any book in the everybody b...more
A little-known gem of a book by Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson. It begins with a family of worms eating dirt for dinner, as always, and the child worm finding a hair in his dirt. This leads to the father worm telling the story of Harriet, a well-meaning buffoon who tried to interfere with nature, with disastrous results (ultimately ending with her hair getting in the worm's dirt). The story is actually meticulously researched and has an important moral to it. And fans of The Far Side won't be d...more
I thought that this book was hilarious. This book has a great beggining and ending, when the father worm explains everything to his son, just when looking at all of the pictures there is something funny to every page if you look closely. Just how they use all of the animals in the book makes it really funny. When I read the cover of this book I could tell that there was something funny about it. This is a very good book that isn't very long and has alot of pictures. The really cool thing about t...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
May 15, 2012
Joann
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
This book is really aimed at adults who will get the humor.
Recommended to Joann by:
Saw book in a waiting room
Believe it or not, I first saw this book in the waiting room of my foot surgeon. Since I am a Gary Larson fan, this was an additional positive endorsement of the man I chose to hack at my foot...
This book is hilarious - and is full of high level adult humor with equally funny illustrations. As a father worm has a dinner conversation with his son about the title hair in the dirt, we are regaled with a tale of the forest surrounding this family of earthworms. Punctuated with the actions of a space...more
This book is hilarious - and is full of high level adult humor with equally funny illustrations. As a father worm has a dinner conversation with his son about the title hair in the dirt, we are regaled with a tale of the forest surrounding this family of earthworms. Punctuated with the actions of a space...more
From the creator of The Far Side comes a very funny tail of nature loving gone wrong. Harriet loves nature...and spends the day "helping" her forest friends...while in reality she does more harm than good. The kids all agreed that her intentions were good, and that she really thought she was doing good. However, Papa worm shows us that her actions had a very negative impact on the environment. This tale make the kids think about their own actions while making them laugh about the funny pictures...more
Awesome children's book. I got it for my sister one year, but I don't think she kept it. Not what she would read to her children. I have to confess I wouldn't read it to young children, but I think my kids now would love it.
Jul 07, 2008
Roasterx
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone with a little time
Recommended to Roasterx by:
A professor of Biology at Westminster University
This is a great children’s book. I already thought that Gary Larson was an evil genius and now I have the proof. Mr. Larson tells the story of a beautiful princess who loves nature, but the book is written from the point of view of nature.
If you didn’t know already, Mr. Larson was schooled in Biology. He seems to want to take away some our notions of nature as a metaphorical fairy land. He manages to do so...and uses his well known humor to pull it off.
This is a great adult’s book as well. It...more
If you didn’t know already, Mr. Larson was schooled in Biology. He seems to want to take away some our notions of nature as a metaphorical fairy land. He manages to do so...and uses his well known humor to pull it off.
This is a great adult’s book as well. It...more
Yikes! I'm not exactly E.O. Wilson's biggest fan, but I love this book because of the way it challenges our ideas about 'nature' and such with Larson's usual good humour.
Jul 15, 2009
Julie Suzanne
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Adults interested in "The Far Side" & science
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. A witty "fairy tale" that exposes the negative effects of the scientifically uneducated human's romanticism of nature, and I could TOTALLY relate to that annoying character, Harriet. Scientific facts & terminology throughout, making it perfect for the high school science classroom.
The adult humor went way over my 9-year-old son's head (as well as most of the content) and most of my middle school students wouldn't get most of what makes it an enjoyable read....more
The adult humor went way over my 9-year-old son's head (as well as most of the content) and most of my middle school students wouldn't get most of what makes it an enjoyable read....more
dismal, educational, and cute. this is what I will read to my children someday
This book was MOSTLY very good but the ending got me VERY upset!
It looks like a child's book but Gary Larson (of The Far Side fame) has packed in a lot of information, with a whimsical set of drawings.
Aug 14, 2012
Crystal
added it
This book was witty and funny but not so much for small children. I didn't realize it wasn't really a kids book until I came across the words "sex machine" or "sex maniac" or something like that and was like... what the heck?
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Gary Larson was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. His parents were Vern, a car salesman, and Doris, a secretary. He attended Curtis High School before attending Washington State University and graduated in 1972 with a degree in communications. In 1987, Larson married Toni Carmichael, an archaeologist.
Larson credits his older brother Dan for his "paranoid" sense of humor. Dan would pull countl...more
More about Gary Larson...
Larson credits his older brother Dan for his "paranoid" sense of humor. Dan would pull countl...more
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Feb 23, 2011 03:35pm