Dirty Gert

Praise

* “A wonderful sense of protectiveness and appreciation pervades this story, speaking directly to the marvels that life has in store. . . . Gert is as organic as they come and a genuine delectation, worms and all.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A comically offbeat story about acceptance.”—Publishers Weekly

“Arnold’s tightly rhymed, originally structured verses are all the more ludicrous for their polysyllabic precision . . . Line and watercolor–style digital art features Arnold’s trademark tone-on-tone squiggled hatchwork in the backgrounds and bulging golf-ball eyes on the huge-headed humans. Additional comedy comes from Gert’s fan club of worms, who comment on the situation in small ground-level speech balloons. Use this in pairing with Cronin’s Diary of a Worm (BCCB 10/03) for a celebration of the soil, let novice readers pore over it on their own, or just share it for a raucous readaloud.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books