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Carl and the Meaning of Life
A story about finding your place in the world.
Carl is an earthworm. He spends his days happily tunneling in the soil until a field mouse asks him a simple question that stops him short: "Why?" Carl's quest takes him on an adventure to meet all the animals of the forest, each of whom seems to know exactly what they were put on this earth to do, unlike the curious Carl. But it's not until the world around him has changed that Carl begins to realize everyone, no matter how small, makes a big difference just by being themselves.
Carl is an earthworm. He spends his days happily tunneling in the soil until a field mouse asks him a simple question that stops him short: "Why?" Carl's quest takes him on an adventure to meet all the animals of the forest, each of whom seems to know exactly what they were put on this earth to do, unlike the curious Carl. But it's not until the world around him has changed that Carl begins to realize everyone, no matter how small, makes a big difference just by being themselves.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2019
3 people are currently reading
666 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Freedman
13 books215 followersOnce upon a time, I was an architect. But now I'd much rather build worlds in books. :)
I am the author and illustrator of 12 of them, featuring protagonists that include an earthworm searching for its purpose in life, a house that dreams of its origins, and a character that is almost too shy to appear in its own book.
My stories have been translated into ten different languages, adopted in classrooms across the country, and honored with many starred reviews and awards. I live in a colorful house in Connecticut, where I'm always busy at work on my next books.
I love reading books and telling you about them; I hate rating them! Let's just say that if I didn't like a book, it isn't here at all.
Website: www.deborahfreedman.net
—with tons of free resources for readers, and a sign-up for my eNewsletter
Bluesky: @DeborahFreedman.net
Facebook: Deborah Freedman, Author & Illustrator
Instagram, Threads: @FreedmanIllustrates
—stop by and say hi!
I am the author and illustrator of 12 of them, featuring protagonists that include an earthworm searching for its purpose in life, a house that dreams of its origins, and a character that is almost too shy to appear in its own book.
My stories have been translated into ten different languages, adopted in classrooms across the country, and honored with many starred reviews and awards. I live in a colorful house in Connecticut, where I'm always busy at work on my next books.
I love reading books and telling you about them; I hate rating them! Let's just say that if I didn't like a book, it isn't here at all.
Website: www.deborahfreedman.net
—with tons of free resources for readers, and a sign-up for my eNewsletter
Bluesky: @DeborahFreedman.net
Facebook: Deborah Freedman, Author & Illustrator
Instagram, Threads: @FreedmanIllustrates
—stop by and say hi!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews
February 19, 2020
Carl is happy making the soil fluffy until one day a mouse asks him why he does that. He doesn’t know why, so he takes a moment and begins to ask people why he does this, who he is. It’s a great book to learn about Who, what, where, when and why. Each animal doesn’t know, but they do their own thing. In time, the dirt gets hard and things stop growing.
A beetle is found by Carl and he wonders why it’s so sad. The beetle has no food and the animals are all leaving. Carl realizes that ground is hard and not fluffy, so he says, hang on, and beings to fluff up the dirt. He learns why he does something.
It's a great meditation on the fact that all the animals in the chain of life are important and each role does something to support life, even the little earthworm. It’s a wonderful lesson about being who we are.
The artwork is water colors and the animals are cute. The water color seems to give the story some life.
The nephew enjoyed Carl. He likes worms and insects. He thought a roly poly should be in the story. He thinks fluffing dirt sounds boring, but it seems important. He gave this book 3 stars. He enjoyed the book.
A beetle is found by Carl and he wonders why it’s so sad. The beetle has no food and the animals are all leaving. Carl realizes that ground is hard and not fluffy, so he says, hang on, and beings to fluff up the dirt. He learns why he does something.
It's a great meditation on the fact that all the animals in the chain of life are important and each role does something to support life, even the little earthworm. It’s a wonderful lesson about being who we are.
The artwork is water colors and the animals are cute. The water color seems to give the story some life.
The nephew enjoyed Carl. He likes worms and insects. He thought a roly poly should be in the story. He thinks fluffing dirt sounds boring, but it seems important. He gave this book 3 stars. He enjoyed the book.
December 2, 2019
An earthworm named Carl is trying to discover why he does what he does. Every day it's the same thing: burrowing, tunneling, digesting, casting, and changing the soil softer. But WHY? In the end, he discovers that every creature has an important job. If he stops what he's doing, everyone suffers. This little book showcases how we are all connected and depending on one another. It would especially be a great read to share around Earth Day or while studying the environment. The sweet illustrations in this book were made with pencil, watercolor, and bits of colored pencil, and assembled in photoshop.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
April 29, 2019
Definitely a book you'll want in your Earth Day rotation, but it's also perfect for some big discussions - how are we all connected? what is our job here on Earth? why do we do the things we do, or for whom do we do them for?
As always, Deborah Freedman packs a deep punch in a story that doesn't waste any words. Oh, and gorgeous illustrations too!
As always, Deborah Freedman packs a deep punch in a story that doesn't waste any words. Oh, and gorgeous illustrations too!
April 3, 2019
Picture-book creator Deborah Freedman returns to the form in this seventh title that she has written and illustrated, this time exploring the role of earthworms in the larger ecosystem. Carl is constantly tunneling under the ground, digesting and then casting leaves and dirt, creating a rich fluffy soil. But when a field mouse asks him why he does what he does, and he has no answer, his search for the solution leads to natural disaster. Searching here and there, asking all of the animals what his purpose is, Carl neglects the soil, which soon hardens becoming incapable of supporting life. Eventually realizing what he is meant to do, he gets back to work, creating the rich earth that everyone around him depends upon...
Although not my favorite, of Freedman's books - that honor belongs to her lovely This House, Once - I found Carl and the Meaning of Life an engaging and thought-provoking picture-book. Framed in a philosophical light, the story explores the interdependence of all the creatures and plants in a given ecosystem, and highlights the all-important role of a very small and seemingly humble creature: the earthworm. I appreciated the message implicit in the story, while enjoying the story itself, and imagine that many young children will as well. The artwork, done in pencil, watercolor and colored pencil, is lovely. Unsurprisingly, my favorite figure was the beautiful red fox, who can be seen on the cover. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books with an ecological theme, that explore the interdependence of all life.
Although not my favorite, of Freedman's books - that honor belongs to her lovely This House, Once - I found Carl and the Meaning of Life an engaging and thought-provoking picture-book. Framed in a philosophical light, the story explores the interdependence of all the creatures and plants in a given ecosystem, and highlights the all-important role of a very small and seemingly humble creature: the earthworm. I appreciated the message implicit in the story, while enjoying the story itself, and imagine that many young children will as well. The artwork, done in pencil, watercolor and colored pencil, is lovely. Unsurprisingly, my favorite figure was the beautiful red fox, who can be seen on the cover. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books with an ecological theme, that explore the interdependence of all life.
August 3, 2024
امتحان داری و وقت نمیکنی کتاب با تعداد صفحه بالا بخونی؟
کتاب کودک بخون 🤝🏻
کتاب کودک بخون 🤝🏻
July 28, 2019
All hail the mighty earthworm!
This picture book does a pretty good job of summarizing in a fraction of the pages the equally well-done The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms. Read this then join me in singing "Circle of Life" at the top of your lungs.
This picture book does a pretty good job of summarizing in a fraction of the pages the equally well-done The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms. Read this then join me in singing "Circle of Life" at the top of your lungs.
October 27, 2019
I've always been fond of - and fascinated by - earthworms. (Sounds weird, I know, but I'm in good company: Charles Darwin was fascinated by earthworms, too, and studied them closely.) So of course I LOVED this gorgeous picture book!
The artwork is water colors, and it is stupendous!!!
Carl is happily going about his business when a curious mouse stops him to ask: why do you do what you do? Carl doesn't know why! (The obvious answer is: I'm hungry. But I guess that wouldn't make for a fun book.) This is one of those picture books where one animal goes around to a lot of other animals to ask a question. The animals Carl meets are the animals that the author sees in her own yard in Connecticut. One thing I especially liked is that - aside from talking animals - this stays realistic: animals that eat each other are not friends. The squirrel and rabbit are afraid of the fox, and Carl the earthworm does not talk to any birds or snakes or frogs or moles or other earthworm-eating critters.
Another nice touch, which is subtle, is that the ground gradually hardens and becomes less fertile while Carl is busy asking question instead of busy doing his soil-loosening and soil-fertilizing thing. (Of course this isn't 100% realistic, since Carl would dry up and die if he spent that much time crawling around on top of the dry ground in the sunlight. But, it's a kids book, after all.) As the ground hardens, plants can't grow, and the rabbits, et al, leave for more fertile ground. Once Carl gets back to work, all the other animals come back because the ground is again fertile enough for all of their needs. The entire ecosystem depends on the lowly earthworm!
I was hoping the last page would have some simple earthworm facts to share with kids, but it doesn't. So if your child is especially curious, plan to read this along with an informative book, such as Wiggling Worms at Work or We Dig Worms!.
The artwork is water colors, and it is stupendous!!!
Carl is happily going about his business when a curious mouse stops him to ask: why do you do what you do? Carl doesn't know why! (The obvious answer is: I'm hungry. But I guess that wouldn't make for a fun book.) This is one of those picture books where one animal goes around to a lot of other animals to ask a question. The animals Carl meets are the animals that the author sees in her own yard in Connecticut. One thing I especially liked is that - aside from talking animals - this stays realistic: animals that eat each other are not friends. The squirrel and rabbit are afraid of the fox, and Carl the earthworm does not talk to any birds or snakes or frogs or moles or other earthworm-eating critters.
Another nice touch, which is subtle, is that the ground gradually hardens and becomes less fertile while Carl is busy asking question instead of busy doing his soil-loosening and soil-fertilizing thing. (Of course this isn't 100% realistic, since Carl would dry up and die if he spent that much time crawling around on top of the dry ground in the sunlight. But, it's a kids book, after all.) As the ground hardens, plants can't grow, and the rabbits, et al, leave for more fertile ground. Once Carl gets back to work, all the other animals come back because the ground is again fertile enough for all of their needs. The entire ecosystem depends on the lowly earthworm!
I was hoping the last page would have some simple earthworm facts to share with kids, but it doesn't. So if your child is especially curious, plan to read this along with an informative book, such as Wiggling Worms at Work or We Dig Worms!.
March 12, 2022
Featured in grandma reads session.
Carl is important. In case you didn't know. But sometimes someone says something that can totally throw even really important folks off track. That's what happened to Carl. He was happily doing what he does, living his life, enjoying his life, humming along, being a worm, worming along with the best of them, and then someone says something.
?Who knows what one "does"? ?what do I do? ?that matters? ?that makes a difference in a day? Or this place? or this community? ?or the world? It gives a person pause, it does. It gave this worm pause. . .and he left off worming to check it out. Asking everyone. . . .what does he do (that matters?). . .not one of them could say. They don't know. They aren't paying attention to Carl. He nearly gives up. He's not important. He does nothing of import. Not one contribution.
Then they all notice, those non-observant community members (mouse, ant, rabbit, spider - all the busy folk), that the field has dried up, dirt has hardened and food isn't growing, plants aren't sprouting, it's not easy to dig homes like it was. . . .
It then comes back to Carl. Ah. That's what he does. And he dives in and gets back to it. Fulfilling the purpose of his creation - to be the best worm he can be.
My group loved this book. Everyone does something that is helping you on your path. Just because you don't know what that is, and just because they themselves aren't particularly aware of it, what they are doing is helping you somehow in your everyday life. In fact, there are millions out there helping you sit there right now and read this on your device, and each of them deserve a little piece of that smile growing on your pretty face, and a spark of that twinkle in your handsome eye.
Carl is important. In case you didn't know. But sometimes someone says something that can totally throw even really important folks off track. That's what happened to Carl. He was happily doing what he does, living his life, enjoying his life, humming along, being a worm, worming along with the best of them, and then someone says something.
?Who knows what one "does"? ?what do I do? ?that matters? ?that makes a difference in a day? Or this place? or this community? ?or the world? It gives a person pause, it does. It gave this worm pause. . .and he left off worming to check it out. Asking everyone. . . .what does he do (that matters?). . .not one of them could say. They don't know. They aren't paying attention to Carl. He nearly gives up. He's not important. He does nothing of import. Not one contribution.
Then they all notice, those non-observant community members (mouse, ant, rabbit, spider - all the busy folk), that the field has dried up, dirt has hardened and food isn't growing, plants aren't sprouting, it's not easy to dig homes like it was. . . .
It then comes back to Carl. Ah. That's what he does. And he dives in and gets back to it. Fulfilling the purpose of his creation - to be the best worm he can be.
My group loved this book. Everyone does something that is helping you on your path. Just because you don't know what that is, and just because they themselves aren't particularly aware of it, what they are doing is helping you somehow in your everyday life. In fact, there are millions out there helping you sit there right now and read this on your device, and each of them deserve a little piece of that smile growing on your pretty face, and a spark of that twinkle in your handsome eye.
May 1, 2019
Every creature has a purpose, and what earthworms do is very important. However, I am not sure that giving an earthworm an existential crisis that causes him to neglect his duties, thus wrecking and then repairing the environment all on his own, is the best way of conveying that message.
April 13, 2019
An earthworm sets out to find the meaning of life....at least for him! Great illustrations.
June 8, 2019
Freaking BEAUTIFUL watercolors. Isaac kept hypothesizing that Carl was going to get eaten by a bird. He was surprised.
April 12, 2019
Poor Carl! Carl was living a happy, content life until one day a field mouse came upon him and asked Carl a question which he didn’t know the answer to. Carl never knew why he did, what he did but now, the question was out there and he needed an answer.
Carl talks to many animals as he makes his journey. Crawling over many miles, Carl’s tone begins to change as his journey is beginning to take forever. Everyone that Carl is talking to seems to know their purpose except for Carl. Finally, when Carl hears the cry of a beetle, he gets the answer to his question.
I love how the author put this novel together. It’s not a fact-telling story, it’s a story about helping others and being part of a larger picture. It’s about a community, about being needed and how each individual is important. I liked the simplicity of the illustrations. They were beautiful to look at and I enjoyed watching Carl as he traveled over the fields.
Carl talks to many animals as he makes his journey. Crawling over many miles, Carl’s tone begins to change as his journey is beginning to take forever. Everyone that Carl is talking to seems to know their purpose except for Carl. Finally, when Carl hears the cry of a beetle, he gets the answer to his question.
I love how the author put this novel together. It’s not a fact-telling story, it’s a story about helping others and being part of a larger picture. It’s about a community, about being needed and how each individual is important. I liked the simplicity of the illustrations. They were beautiful to look at and I enjoyed watching Carl as he traveled over the fields.
July 2, 2019
Carl has no idea why he does what he does or what his purpose in life is. As he wanders the earth asking fellow creatures "Why?" the earth get drier and dustier and just plain sad. In the driest spot, next to his friend the beetle, Carl finds his meaning of life and begins to tunnel and twist and cast and chew and bring the world back into balance.
Forget Dr. Seuss' Oh the Places You'll Go, Carl and the Meaning of Life is the new book for high school graduates. Do one small thing to make the world a better place. It all matters. Every single thing.
Carl is such a charismatic guy that the littles are going to love it too and they will be understand the importance of all creatures great and small better with this book and a conversation before breakfast, after dinner, or at bed time.
Forget Dr. Seuss' Oh the Places You'll Go, Carl and the Meaning of Life is the new book for high school graduates. Do one small thing to make the world a better place. It all matters. Every single thing.
Carl is such a charismatic guy that the littles are going to love it too and they will be understand the importance of all creatures great and small better with this book and a conversation before breakfast, after dinner, or at bed time.
April 10, 2019
Beautiful illustrations.
Story of an earthworm looking for his purpose in life. It took leaving and returning to discover his role. He returns from his search to find all the soil dry and hard. All the plants are gone. All the animals gone. He begins to dig and churn the soil again, and we see the plants, and subsequently the animals return.
takeaway: No matter your size, you have a part to play in this world
Story of an earthworm looking for his purpose in life. It took leaving and returning to discover his role. He returns from his search to find all the soil dry and hard. All the plants are gone. All the animals gone. He begins to dig and churn the soil again, and we see the plants, and subsequently the animals return.
takeaway: No matter your size, you have a part to play in this world
May 7, 2019
"Why do I do what I do? Who do I do it for?" - questions for readers young and old to ponder. This is a book to read during PD sessions and to read aloud to help learners set their own goals. It is also a text to let students explore how characters impact one another. Thank you, Sue, for sharing this book with me.
April 11, 2019
So far my favorite picture book of 2019
May 3, 2019
What a wonderful tale! Beautifully illustrated and informative - an intriguing way to share the value of a worm's contribution to our environment. Ages 3-6
July 9, 2019
A great book about interdependence! (Plus there is a grammar correcting fox.)
August 28, 2019
Wow, Deborah Freedman. One of my favorite picture books this year!
October 27, 2019
Beautiful illustrations, and a great message that every creature- even the ones we don’t like or understand, have a role to play in our interconnected existence.
January 12, 2020
I love Deborah Freedman's books. She delivers on this one. This book belongs in a text set with Wonderful Worms by Linda Glaser and It's a Good Thing There are Earthworms by Jodie Shepherd.
July 16, 2021
از اونایی که باید دربارهش بگم: این 5 ستاره، در واقع، نشانهی 50 ستارهس
March 13, 2020
Why are you here? What is your purpose? Who are you here for? All creatures have a purpose in this story about Carl who is searching for the why, what and who of his life.
Read
April 29, 2019Deborah Freedman is back with another whimsical children’s book in Carl and the Meaning of Life (Viking Books for Young Readers). This book follows a similar style as some of her other children’s books with her own beautiful illustrations and charming animal characters.
Freedman is no stranger to addressing larger, worldly topics in her children’s books, and Carl and the Meaning of Life is no exception. The main character of this story, Carl the earthworm, is struggling with the meaning of life. The story starts out with Carl doing what he always does, moving around underground, turning the different plant debris and dirt into nourished soil. One day while going about his business, Carl encounters a field mouse gathering seeds. When this field mouse prompts Carl with the question of why he does what he does, Carl sets out on a whirlwind adventure, determined to find an answer.
Carl’s journey of discovery continues when he asks a rabbit and if she knows why he does what the same thing every day. Her response surprises and confuses Carl, as she has no answers for his own question, but instead explains what she does to care for her young. This answer was not one that Carl was expecting, nor one he could personally relate to. Carl’s next few interactions with the different woodland creatures all follow the same trend. Each creature knows their purpose, but they seemed to have no connection or answer for Carl’s own duties.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/04/one-dete...
Freedman is no stranger to addressing larger, worldly topics in her children’s books, and Carl and the Meaning of Life is no exception. The main character of this story, Carl the earthworm, is struggling with the meaning of life. The story starts out with Carl doing what he always does, moving around underground, turning the different plant debris and dirt into nourished soil. One day while going about his business, Carl encounters a field mouse gathering seeds. When this field mouse prompts Carl with the question of why he does what he does, Carl sets out on a whirlwind adventure, determined to find an answer.
Carl’s journey of discovery continues when he asks a rabbit and if she knows why he does what the same thing every day. Her response surprises and confuses Carl, as she has no answers for his own question, but instead explains what she does to care for her young. This answer was not one that Carl was expecting, nor one he could personally relate to. Carl’s next few interactions with the different woodland creatures all follow the same trend. Each creature knows their purpose, but they seemed to have no connection or answer for Carl’s own duties.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/04/one-dete...
May 5, 2019
When a mouse asks Carl, an earthworm, why he digs in the dirt all day, Carl doesn’t have a good answer. So he sets off to find one. He asks all sorts of animals in the meadow “Why?” Some of them answer with their own reasons for why they do what they do. Rabbit does things to take care of her babies. Fox does things to hunt. Squirrel plants trees by hiding nuts in the ground in order to have homes in the future. But why does an earthworm dig in the dirt? Carl doesn’t get any good answers. He finally finds himself on a hard patch of dirt where a beetle complains that he can’t find any grubs to eat. Suddenly, Carl understands what he does and why and begins to turn the hard earth into soft dirt. As he works, the area transforms back into green grass, planted seeds, and plenty of wildlife.
Freedman takes one worm’s curiosity about why he does things and cleverly transforms it into a look at the interconnected roles of animals and worms on the habitat they live in. The story here is tightly written, following a structure of questioning neighbors and coming to a conclusion that is familiar in children’s literature.
The illustrations really show exactly the impact of an earthworm and move from lushness to a dry landscape back to the beauty of new growth and then lushness once more. As always, Freedman’s watercolors are filled with color, even transforming the brown dirt into a fertile and fascinating space on the page.
Another winner from a master book creator. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Freedman takes one worm’s curiosity about why he does things and cleverly transforms it into a look at the interconnected roles of animals and worms on the habitat they live in. The story here is tightly written, following a structure of questioning neighbors and coming to a conclusion that is familiar in children’s literature.
The illustrations really show exactly the impact of an earthworm and move from lushness to a dry landscape back to the beauty of new growth and then lushness once more. As always, Freedman’s watercolors are filled with color, even transforming the brown dirt into a fertile and fascinating space on the page.
Another winner from a master book creator. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
June 18, 2019
This one might make it to my list of top five picture books ever. I picked it up because my toddler and preschooler are really into earthworms right now. It was wormy enough for them -- an earthworm is the protagonist and every scene shows him. It then explains again what they know from nonfiction texts, but does it 500x better by using the words "rocky" and "fluffy" to describe the before and after of worm work in soil. The other scenes all included animals, which, of course, they were into. The appearance of a new creature on almost every page kept my eighteen-month-old interested even though the text was about an existential crisis. Also, this existential crisis was emotionally accessible to my three-year-old. I think that's a good thing? The thing is, worms do important work. In their own way, they are the foundation of life on earth. I was able to extend that to everyone for my Mr Three -- "all of us do work that, if we stopped doing, would be really missed!" -- but as a grownup who has to read a lot of meaningful picture books I am so thankful the author chose not to explicitly state that cheesy point. This one we are going to have to purchase and hoard for great-grandchildren. Deborah Freedman has sometimes missed the mark for me... although my kids do still believe chickens have the magic ability to break the fourth wall, so maybe that is just for me and not for my kids... but this one is PERFECT for all of us. I love this book.
October 14, 2019
"It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have the lowly creatures"--Charles Darwin, 1883
Hmm, I have heard recently that the most important creature on the planet, the most important to the survival of human beings, is the bee. Like the earthworm, easily taken for granted (or seen as annoying and possibly dispensable). Well, this is a lovely book about eco-systems and interdependency. Encourages curiosity about other creatures; a field mouse asks Carl, why do earthworms do what they do? He doesn't know why, he never asks the question of himself, so he begins to ask others.
(Answer: To turn dirt into soil).
These other creatures Carl meets along the way make it clear that without what he does they could not grow seeds, they could not eat, and so on. Maybe a good one to use in a discussion about The Sixth Extinction, the horrific loss of species we are living through? Or a good one to use in encouraging kids to ask questions about purposes. Lovely watercolor illustrations.
Inchworm song from Sesame Street (aw, don't you miss Sesame Street??!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0lQ0...
Hmm, I have heard recently that the most important creature on the planet, the most important to the survival of human beings, is the bee. Like the earthworm, easily taken for granted (or seen as annoying and possibly dispensable). Well, this is a lovely book about eco-systems and interdependency. Encourages curiosity about other creatures; a field mouse asks Carl, why do earthworms do what they do? He doesn't know why, he never asks the question of himself, so he begins to ask others.
(Answer: To turn dirt into soil).
These other creatures Carl meets along the way make it clear that without what he does they could not grow seeds, they could not eat, and so on. Maybe a good one to use in a discussion about The Sixth Extinction, the horrific loss of species we are living through? Or a good one to use in encouraging kids to ask questions about purposes. Lovely watercolor illustrations.
Inchworm song from Sesame Street (aw, don't you miss Sesame Street??!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0lQ0...
April 10, 2019
The lowly earthworm (and other decomposers) have an irreplaceable role in the balance of life, habitats, and ecosystems. This clever premise of a reflective, philosophical, and determined earthworm allows readers to move fast-forward with Carl to discover how a lowly station in life can, in reality, be an essential cog in the lives of the above-ground lives.
Combine this one with UBIQUITOUS (Sidman), The Diary of a Worm (Cronin), Above and Below the Ground (Messner), Worm Loves Worm (Austrian).
Highly recommended, and easily connected with hands-on actives, STEM investigations about worms and other decomposers, and also character development.
Combine this one with UBIQUITOUS (Sidman), The Diary of a Worm (Cronin), Above and Below the Ground (Messner), Worm Loves Worm (Austrian).
Highly recommended, and easily connected with hands-on actives, STEM investigations about worms and other decomposers, and also character development.
May 7, 2019
When Mouse asks Carl why he does what he does, our little earthworm friend goes on a quest to find out. Instead of answers he finds more questions. Why does he do what he does? Who does he do it for? What is his purpose in life? Along the way he meets other animals who all seem to know exactly what they are doing, for whom, and why. But what Carl doesn't realize is that while he is out searching for answers the ground is getting dry and hard and when things stop growing all the other animals move away. Upon his return to his field, Carl realizes exactly what he must do and why and for whom.
Great lesson on interdependence and never being too small for a big job!
Great lesson on interdependence and never being too small for a big job!
May 6, 2019
Carl is a worm and as he peeked out from his under-earth tunnels, a wee mouse asks "Why?" Why does he do the work he does? Carl journeys on above ground, asking all he meets, a rabbit, a fox, and on. They can only answer what they do. At the end of his journey, the earth is hard-packed; the animals have moved elsewhere. Carl begins again, burrowing, tunneling, digesting, casting. He creates anew, his job. Freedman's watercolors fit the nature story beautifully. She has added a brief author's note asking what we readers do to help the earth.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews