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Three Nasty Gnarlies
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is the theme of this hilarious self-help satire that doubles as a fun-to-sing operetta.
Based on an obscure operetta by the composer Funguso Smellagrossi, this is a story of three nasty gnarlies who love their lives in the dump until a snooty butterfly comes along and convinces them that they have to look like her to be beautiful. So they wrap themselves in bits of silk and hang upside down from a tree. In the spring, when they discover they are still nasty gnarlies, they must draw on all of their inner strength to appreciate their true selves.
Musical score and recipe for Mud Puddle Surprise (a treat made of chocolate pudding, peanut butter, & gummy worms!) are included.
Based on an obscure operetta by the composer Funguso Smellagrossi, this is a story of three nasty gnarlies who love their lives in the dump until a snooty butterfly comes along and convinces them that they have to look like her to be beautiful. So they wrap themselves in bits of silk and hang upside down from a tree. In the spring, when they discover they are still nasty gnarlies, they must draw on all of their inner strength to appreciate their true selves.
Musical score and recipe for Mud Puddle Surprise (a treat made of chocolate pudding, peanut butter, & gummy worms!) are included.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2003
1 person is currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 14, 2013
Title / Author / Publication Date:
Three nasty gnarlies. / Keith Graves. / 2003.
Genre: Fiction.
Format: Picturebook (in rhyme) - print.
Plot summary:
"In an effort to improve their cleanliness and appearance, three nasty gnarlies follow a butterfly's advice" (NoveList).
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory:
self-esteem, self-perception, self-worth, self-acceptance, beauty
Review citation:
“Loudly cartoonish and weirdly distorted, Graves's acrylic paintings on illustration board are eye-poppers. Illustrations, concept, and rhyming text (often in word bubbles) mesh to form a unified stinky nest of fun” (Liza Graybill in School Library Journal).
Section source used to find the material:
Best Books for Children Preschool through Grade 6 (9th ed.)
Recommended age: Ages 4 - 6.
Three nasty gnarlies. / Keith Graves. / 2003.
Genre: Fiction.
Format: Picturebook (in rhyme) - print.
Plot summary:
"In an effort to improve their cleanliness and appearance, three nasty gnarlies follow a butterfly's advice" (NoveList).
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory:
self-esteem, self-perception, self-worth, self-acceptance, beauty
Review citation:
“Loudly cartoonish and weirdly distorted, Graves's acrylic paintings on illustration board are eye-poppers. Illustrations, concept, and rhyming text (often in word bubbles) mesh to form a unified stinky nest of fun” (Liza Graybill in School Library Journal).
Section source used to find the material:
Best Books for Children Preschool through Grade 6 (9th ed.)
Recommended age: Ages 4 - 6.
June 5, 2020
I have been singing along to this book for about the last 15 years. It is written in such a joyful way, I have to become part of the opera. The moral is fabulous, too. Thank you Keith Graves for giving us such fine music!
August 18, 2017
Be yourself! Be your won kind of beautiful. A fun read-aloud for story time on differences and diversity on a super simple scale.
June 18, 2018
A great message for the littles. You are beautiful no matter what they say. Crazy, gnarly characters.
February 22, 2019
Three nasty gnarlies want to change like a beautiful butterfly a great follow-up to a nonfiction picture book about butterflies.
February 6, 2021
This is presh. And a good lesson for children about beauty and the beauty in being yourself.
April 28, 2011
this story is about three slobs who meet a beautiful butterfly. she attempts to set them straight and get them to clean themselves up so they will fit in. after they try and try they dont change a bit and realize maybe they werent meant to be that way and they are special just the way they are. this book has great illustrations that go along great with the story and would be a great read for pre-k-2nd.
January 6, 2010
This is a great story about being happy with who you are. You may not be a beautiful butterfly, but everyone has beauty in them and can appreciate their own individuality. The characters are goofy and fun and the illustrations are silly. The song is fun and there's even a great dessert recipe on the back.
April 24, 2011
An excellent poem/song that discusses self-image. Everyone is beautiful just the way they are, even the three sloppiest and ugliest characters I have ever seen still felt that way in the end. This is a very good book about staying true to yourself and not becoming someone you are not. It would be a great sing along book (has music staff in the back). I loved it.
October 7, 2016
theme: like yourself for who you are. In this book that means these gnarlies embrace their gnarliness...despite Snooty Judy Butterfly's disdain and vapid egotism. Fabulous illustrations. Very gooey.
September 8, 2009
This is a great sing along book! children love that the setting is in a junkyard. they also love the main characters. Its a cute but messy way of teching children that they should always be themselves. The boys in my class loved it!
April 17, 2010
This book teachers children and readers that they are beautiful just the way that they are and they can't judge themselves off of another person's definition of beauty. This would be a great book to read at the beginning of the school year.
November 4, 2010
This story with the ultimate message that beauty is in the eye of the beholder had distracting illustrations that attempted to gross out the reader. Yes, they are nasty gnarlies and they live in a dump. But ewwwww. My preschool audience really like the title and got the message loud and clear.
April 27, 2011
Kids will love this story. It teaches a great lesson of being comfortable in your own skin, while being funny and "gross" for kids. This is a book I would will keep on the shelf in my classroom and read it to the class over and over.
June 2, 2011
The three gnarlies and happy being gnarly until Judy Snooty Butterfly questions their definition of beauty. They try, oh how they try to live up to Judy's standards...but in the end they realize that they are happy being just as gnarly as they like.
December 10, 2012
My kids, like most I've met, are into the gross. They liked the goofy rhymes and the gnarly illustrations. The "it's OK to be yourself even if you're not the standard ideal of beauty" message is a classic. So very South Austin...
January 15, 2013
The Grarlies are nasty creatures that happily sing around their home at he dump until Snooty Judy Butterfly points out how nasty they are. She advises if they metamorphosize they could possibly be beautiful like her.
March 6, 2016
A lovely little rhyme about what it means to be truly beautiful. Three germy, squirmy "things" are very happy with their lives until Snooty Judy Butterfly informs them that they are not as beautiful as they think they are.
Awesome illustrations.
Awesome illustrations.
March 25, 2008
My favorite children's book, Jack memorized this book when he was just 2 1/2 he loved it so much.
September 30, 2008
One of my absolute favorite children's book. Great to read, excellent characters, good lesson, entertaining pictures -even a good recipe and song. This book has it all.
April 20, 2010
The gnarlies learn they are beautiful just the way they are.
September 28, 2012
This book is a good one to read to children early in the school year or anytime for that matter. This would be especially great to use during a germ and handwashing lesson.
February 5, 2013
I loved this book because of its message on being yourself. its a really cute book younger grades would like.
February 8, 2013
Great book about liking yourself, self esteem and perception of beauty
April 28, 2013
Great book for dicussing the importance of individuality. Such a cute book. I had a fellow colleague do a wonderful lesson/activity using this book.
October 9, 2015
Baha, so funny and such a great message of self-acceptance! This book had me laughing conspicuously in a quiet room. Love love love
November 8, 2016
Probably good for a 4-5 year old? I love this story...
May 2, 2008
I love the gnarly song!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews