Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York, NY : HarperCollins, c1998.
Description
A young earthworm, upset to discover a hair in his dinner dirt, gets a lesson about the realities of nature from his father, and learns about his importance in the perpetuation of life on Earth.
User reviews
LibraryThing member .Monkey.
Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this. I am not at all a Larson (or Far Side) fan, I think his artwork and jokes are both generally far more crude and ugly than entertaining. But my husband checked this out from the library and kept chuckling, then gave it to me to read, so I figured what the heck.
As
And the story itself is what is truly worthy of praise. Larson managed to tell a goofy story inside a goofy story, all the while educating the reader about a lot of misconceptions and facts that people are often ignorant of when it comes to the world around us. When I have kids, I will definitely be looking to get them a copy of this book.
As
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it turns out, this was a fabulously done piece of work. As it also turns out, it seems to be just Larson's human drawings that I find so repulsive. His flora & fauna are actually pretty enjoyable, in that cartoony-non-realistic way, and he managed to stick in lots of humorous little things amongst the drawings that were just for the laughs, not the story-line.And the story itself is what is truly worthy of praise. Larson managed to tell a goofy story inside a goofy story, all the while educating the reader about a lot of misconceptions and facts that people are often ignorant of when it comes to the world around us. When I have kids, I will definitely be looking to get them a copy of this book.
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LibraryThing member Argonaut15
What might appear as a children's book is definitely not for children. Well, except for the adult children. If it is Gary Larson, then you should know to expect his odd and delightful humor. A must read for any fan of The Far Side.
LibraryThing member MrsLee
Lovely book, I wish I had had this when my children were still studying with me. Great biology and nature lessons within. This book is not for the squeamish or those who do not care to look at the more sordid facts of our world, but it is great for those who enjoy Larson's humor and who like to
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look at nature through a microscope and not rose-tinted lenses. Show Less
LibraryThing member ncpoekert
There's a Hair in My Dirt!: A Worm's Story by Gary Larson (1998)
LibraryThing member Natedog98
I love to read this book. It makes me laugh every time I do!
LibraryThing member ragwaine
Funny as hell but too educational.
LibraryThing member SarahAZ
This book is really smart and creative. I thought it was really funny, and I love the illustrations that add to the humor. My favorite part was the twist at the end, where you learn where the hair comes from. It's the kind of twist that helps you learn something new. I would recommend this book to
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children from grade 6 +. I also think that this is aimed for adults as well. There are lessons about nature and how the world works that are incorporated in the story that adults might not be aware of. Show Less
LibraryThing member jfoti
I want to say that I was very disappointed in this story. I do give it credit for being creative and I do believe that it could have interesting information and an informative message, but I believe that the way in which the author presented this book was inappropriate. There were instances in
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which the author used the phrase "sex maniac," hid the word "ass" on a character's shirt, and referenced drug use. I do not intend to present myself as naive, but I believe that these references are incredibly inappropriate in a children's book and are offensive in the sense that they are undermining the children's intelligence by assuming that they will not notice these details. It is interesting to me that the story got so many rave reviews and I believe that I could've enjoyed this story much more had I been able to get past these details. It is possible that I am being too sensitive or making a mountain out of a mole hill, but for me, these details were detracting from the story and would convince me not to use the story in a classroom. Show Less
LibraryThing member ghelmus
This book was not what I expected. It was funny, creative, and I actually learned a bit about nature. But this is not your average children's book. The pictures may seem cute and humorous, but there are multiple moments that would be too inappropriate for children (language, swearing). I wouldn't
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recommend using this book in a classroom, but the concept could be used for a class activity. It would be possible to have an exercise on taking the perspective of somebody/thing on the bottom of the food chain to talk about nature and how eco systems work and rely on every part of the system. Show Less
LibraryThing member engpunk77
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. A witty "fairy tale" that exposes the negative effects of the scientifically uneducated human's romanticism of nature, and I could TOTALLY relate to that annoying character, Harriet. Scientific facts & terminology throughout, making it perfect for the high school
The adult humor went way over my 9-year-old son's head (as well as most of the content) and most of my middle school students wouldn't get most of what makes it an enjoyable read. It definitely appears to target an adult audience; hopefully, adults will seek it out even though it is a picture book.
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science classroom. The adult humor went way over my 9-year-old son's head (as well as most of the content) and most of my middle school students wouldn't get most of what makes it an enjoyable read. It definitely appears to target an adult audience; hopefully, adults will seek it out even though it is a picture book.
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LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
loving Nature is not the same as understanding it" says ecologist, tree-hugger and very funny guy Larson. Ages 9 to 99 can learn & laugh out loud - I did!"
LibraryThing member CapitalHackels
This isn't a book for children.
LibraryThing member books-n-pickles
Save this for the older kiddos who can read this on their own and not be put off by a couple of curses in the side cartoons. You definitely need a Larson-esque sense of humor to enjoy this oddball story-within-a-story that a father worm tells his son worm to make him appreciate his place in
A maiden named Harriet enjoys her walk through the woods, appreciating nature but not understanding it. Here's a taste of the humor:
"To be sure, these furry creatures had the 'cute' thing down real good--regrettably. You see, Harriet was feeding Gray Squirrels, a large, aggressive species that had been introduced to this forest and were taking it over from the native Red Squirrels, a smaller, more timid species. All squirrels are rodents, but in the wrong place and time, some are rats."
Cue picture of tough-guy gray squirrels sticking up a red squirrel for its acorn.
Harriet goes on her way, causing harm with better intentions than intelligence...but the lack of the latter has, well, consequences.
Amusing for adults, but don't mistake it for a kids story!
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nature--and the hair in his dirt.A maiden named Harriet enjoys her walk through the woods, appreciating nature but not understanding it. Here's a taste of the humor:
"To be sure, these furry creatures had the 'cute' thing down real good--regrettably. You see, Harriet was feeding Gray Squirrels, a large, aggressive species that had been introduced to this forest and were taking it over from the native Red Squirrels, a smaller, more timid species. All squirrels are rodents, but in the wrong place and time, some are rats."
Cue picture of tough-guy gray squirrels sticking up a red squirrel for its acorn.
Harriet goes on her way, causing harm with better intentions than intelligence...but the lack of the latter has, well, consequences.
Amusing for adults, but don't mistake it for a kids story!
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 1999)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (Humor — 2001)
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (Selection — 1999)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1998
Physical description
64 p.; 28.2 cm
ISBN
006019104X / 9780060191047