There's a Hair in My Dirt!: A Worm's Story (Hardcover)

by Gary Larson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
"Dirt for breakfast, dirt for lunch and dirt for dinner! Dirt, dirt, dirt! And look--now there's even a hair in my dirt! The final insult--I can't stand it any longer! I hate being a worm!" It isn't easy being an earthworm, and when one little guy gets mad at a hair in his dinner, Father worm decides to tell him a story. What follows is an ecological fable that combines environmental lessons with the kind of off-the-wall humor that could only come from one man: Gary Larson. Fans of The Far Side have been waiting for Larson's latest work since January 1995 when the final Far Side strip appeared in newspapers around the world, and they won't be disappointed. Father worm tells the story of Harriet, a beautiful but stupid maiden who frolics through the forest enjoying the beauty of nature, but completely failing to understand it. The young earthworm learns that nature is not a cute and cuddly theme park designed for the entertainment of stupid humans, but a complex, fragile, and sometimes violent system where every creature plays a vital role, even the lowly worm.

Larson is never preachy, the text is hilarious, and his illustrations are filled with wonderful sight gags. It may look like a children's book, but there's enough here to keep the most sophisticated adult chuckling for hours. You might learn something, too. --Simon Leake

From School Library Journal
YA-A truly twisted fairy tale that is perfect for teens who enjoy the macabre. In his offbeat and inimitable style, Larson presents a biology lesson through his narrator, an earthworm. During dinner, when a young worm expresses disgust at finding a hair in his dirt as well as at his lot in life as the "lowest of the low," his father tells him a story about a beautiful human maiden, Harriet, who loves nature but doesn't understand it. As she cavorts through the woods, her ignorance produces some unfortunate results including the demise of a land tortoise. The humor and clever illustrations will appeal to YAs while illuminating some realities about wildlife. A charming firefly is observed flashing a prospective mate by opening his raincoat. Harriet feeds a sweet group of squirrels, while behind a tree a lone red squirrel is forced to hand over his acorn to a gang of gray squirrels, one of which is wearing a T-shirt bearing the inscription, "I kicked Thumper's Ass." The story concludes after Harriet saves a mouse; as the vector of a deadly disease, it infects Harriet, who dies and decomposes above the worm family's home, hence the hair in the dirt. Father worm explains that those who romanticize parts of nature while disparaging others fail to understand the inherent interconnections. The little creature regains his self-esteem in the knowledge that lowly worms aerate the earth's soil, preparing it for plant life, thus insuring the existence of the animals that depend on it.
Debra Shumate, Bull Run Regional Library, Manassas,
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (April 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006019104X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060191047
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #244,249 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For the pseudo-environmentalist in all of us!, December 30, 2005

By	Reginald D. Garrard "the G-man" (Camilla, GA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: There's a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm's Story (Paperback)

Off-the-wall cartoonist/satirist/humorist Gary Larson's "There's a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm's Story" is as effective a life science text as any that might be in a middle school or high school classroom today. Not only does Larson provide some biological facts but he does it in such an entertaining manner that the reader, especially the young one, may not realize that he/she is learning something. Also, the illustrations require some close scrutiny for many of the jokes lie in the remote corners of the pages.

For those of us that claim to be concerned for the environment, this book turns some preconceptions topsy-turvy.

As an educator, I just can imagine what Larson could do to ignite the language arts, math, and the social studies.

We need more tales of "Harriet" in public and private schools!

He could work wonders for the classroom!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book!! Two thumbs up!!, September 15, 1999

By A Customer

Gary Larson has wrote a masterpiece!! This is his best work yet. Not only is it delightfully entertaining, it's educational. The book "There's a Hair In My Dirt!," has all the beautiful illustrations we are used to of his. I recommend this book to everyone who loves nature, or is a fan of Gary Larson's brilliant work. This is the best book Iv'e ever read, you'll never be able to stop laughing!!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully Funny!, September 3, 1999

By A Customer

We bought this book at the Tourist Information Center at Pt. Reyes in Northern California. It was among books about the ocean, lighthouses, scenic spots in that area, and science. My husband, being a devout Gary Larson fan, had to have it. I'm not a fan but I am a grandma to 5 kids from 10 to 1, so it seemed like a cute book they would like to have read to them, or read themselves. It is such a delightful story as well as being educational. The illustrations are great! We immediately began counting all the people we know who would also enjoy it, adults and kids alike. It will be something we buy in bulk this Christmas. Try it, you'll like it!