Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 2-4. Aimed at young naturalists, this project-oriented study combines basic facts about worm anatomy and behavior with general instructions for building, maintaining, and performing simple experiments with both a plastic-bottle wormery and a more ambitious compost bin. A mix of color photos and simple paintings offer cutaways views of worms and their burrows, representations of several types of earthworms, and pictures of finished projects. As demonstrated by the large, multimedia resource list at the end of the book, there's no lack of published information on the topic, but this is a solid additional purchase, with an appealingly squirmy cover photo. --John Peters Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-The indispensable earthworm gets its due in this breezy introduction. Short blocks of text accompanied by color photographs and/or drawings explain the invertebrate's ecological importance as a recycler of organic material. The author also describes the animal's chief characteristics, the distinctive characteristics of three common species, major internal organs and their functions, diet, feeding habits, life cycle, etc. References to Charles Darwin's research on the subject are scattered throughout and suggestions are offered for conducting versions of some of his simpler experiments. Brief directions for constructing a wormery and a worm composting bin are included; adult assistance is required for both projects. Assorted sidebars present miscellaneous facts or tips on humane handling of worms. Most of the photographs are close-ups; included among the drawings are large diagrams of major body parts, underground burrows, and more. The text has a lively style and is, for the most part, clearly written. Molly McLaughlin's Earthworms, Dirt and Rotten Leaves (S & S, 1986) lacks the lively layout of Dixon's title but takes a more scientific approach and offers more details, experiments, and nature study activities. Despite minor flaws due to oversimplification, Lowdown will be a useful addition to libraries.-Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Everything you never knew you wanted to know about earthworms and didn't know to ask. An endearingly impassioned look at the lowly earthworm introduces readers to their anatomy and behavior, helps readers to identify different earthworm species and habitats and discusses their importance in the ecosystem ("In a world without worms, we'd all be buried under mountains of dry leaves and dead bugs"). Brief chapters discuss the various aspects of earthworm study, including Charles Darwin's decades-long experimentation and observation of the ubiquitous invertebrate. Photographs combine with drawings in a nicely varied design that keeps interesting what is at bottom a pretty graphically boring subject. Hands-on activities will have young readers out grubbing up inhabitants for their very own wormeries (Darwin did it, after all) and building under-the-sink composters. It's an appealingly enthusiastic approach to biology that just about every reader will be able to participate in--after they use the book to help their parents overcome their own squeamishness, that is. (Nonfiction. 6-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
