Superworm
by Julia Donaldson (Author) Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)
Toad in trouble? Beetle in a jam? Never fear -- Superworm is here! And he's wiggling to the rescue!
But when Superworm is captured by a wicked Wizard Lizard, will his friends find a way to help their favorite superhero escape?
From the creators of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom, a super new adventure with a wriggly, squiggly hero you'll never forget.
Locate at a Library Near You WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
Find books about:
Kirkus
ALA/Booklist
Publishers Weekly
The winning team behind The Gruffalo and other books casts a pink, squiggly worm as a superhero, then introduces a dastardly villain, Wizard Lizard, who captures Superworm for his own nefarious purposes. Since Superworm always uses his superpowers to help animals when they're in trouble ("Help! Disaster! Baby toad/ Has hopped onto a major road"), his neighbors conspire eagerly to free him, sneaking toward the villain's lair to rescue him ("They jump and fly and crawl and creep.../ and find the lizard fast asleep"). Scheffler's menagerie of insects and amphibians sport delightfully dorky, wide-eyed looks of terror when things go wrong and evident satisfaction when Wizard Lizard's magic spell is broken and Superworm is back among them. Donaldson's seamless verse has the gratifying, thumping predictability of nursery rhymes ("We must help him if we can./ We must hatch a cunning plan!"), and the action hurtles along nonstop. The fact that the hero is a creature that is usually thought of as frail and helpless carries an implicit message of its own. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)
Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3--The team behind The Gruffalo (Dial, 2005) returns with a slightly slimy superhero who will (literally) worm his way into your heart. It's Superworm! He rescues toads and beetles from peril and young bees from boredom. The insects clap and cheer for their very own invertebrate champion, inciting the ire of the Wizard Lizard and his henchman crow, who kidnap Superworm for their own sinister devices. The toads, slugs, earwigs, and other bugs band together to rescue the hero, with a cunning plan to wrap the villain in honey and spiderwebs and relegate him to the rubbish heap (the slugs help by eating the wizard's flower wand). All is right with the world as Superworm returns to act as swing, slide, and hula hoop for his adoring fans. The illustrations are charming and detailed (look for a gruffalo in the garbage dump), with earwigs and beetles managing to look entomologically accurate as well as cute and cuddly. The story line and rhyme are not as engaging as in Room on the Broom (Dial, 2001), but young insect lovers and fans of Doreen Cronin's Diary of a Worm (HarperCollins, 2003) and other buggy tales will be thoroughly entertained.--Martha Link Yesowitch, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
A NEW YORK TIMES Notable Children's Book of 2012
"Donaldson, the current children's laureate in Britain, is a master of witty comic rhyme and original stories with heart. Here she and Scheffler outdo themselves with the smart, funny — dare I say, deep? — story of a dragon in training, a princess who wants to be a doctor and a knight who could use a bit of rescuing. The book gets a gold star too." — NEW YORK TIMES
"A delightful new twist on happily-ever-after." — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
Praise for TABBY MCTAT, THE MUSICAL CAT
"A surprising and fun read.... [Scheffler's] bright-eyed, warmhearted characterizations make this a wonderful testimony to the ties that bind." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"The team behind ROOM ON THE BROOM pair up again in what has become a near-annual ritual of picture book perfection.... Impeccable rhythm and rhyme distinguish this particular tale, filled, as always, with Donaldson's exemplary humor and heart." — NEW YORK TIMES
"A fun frolic about musical duos who aren't quite the same without each other. Like their trademark tune, it all ends 'PURRRR-fectly'." — BOOKLIST
Praise for STICK MAN
* "Donaldson and Scheffler's poignant, suspenseful profile of an inanimate object recalls Laurie Keller or THE VELVETINE RABBIT. Donaldson's rhymes never skip a beat, and Scheffler personalizes the many animals, people and settings in his witty watercolors. This yarn could become a December perennial." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review
* "Scheffler's engaging illustrations, Donaldson's irresistible rhyming text and repeated refrains make this a winning read-aloud that will stick around long after the holiday season." — KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review
Julia Donaldson served as the UK Children's Laureate from 2011 to 2013 and has written many bestselling and beloved children's books, including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, and Stick Man. She lives in West Sussex in the south of the UK.
Axel Scheffler's award-winning books include Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, and The Gruffalo. His illustrations have been published in more than 30 countries. He lives in London, England.
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
Stories in rhyme
Worms
Wizards
Heroes
Lizards
