The Greedy Worm

by Jeff Newman, Jeff Newman (Illustrator)

Overview

From celebrated illustrator Jeff Newman comes a delightfully funny wordless picture book about a very greedy worm, a very large apple, and the importance of sharing with friends.

The greedy worm has his eye on a very big apple and he does NOT want to share with any of the other hungry bugs. In fact he eats the whole thing himself in one giant chomp to keep them away. But when a bird starts eyeing the now plump (and sluggish) greedy worm, he’ll need those bugs he snubbed to keep the feaster from becoming the feast. And he might just learn a thing or two about sharing in the process...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442471955
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	02/28/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jeff Newman grew up in Ashland, Massachusetts, and attended The Art Institute of Boston. His picture books include Hippo! No, Rhino; The Boys; Hand Book; The Greedy Worm; and Found. He currently lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Jeff Newman grew up in Ashland, Massachusetts, and attended The Art Institute of Boston. His picture books include Hippo! No, Rhino; The Boys; Hand Book; The Greedy Worm; and Found. He currently lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Editorial Reviews

12/12/2022

When a large red apple falls onto the field above its underground home (“THUMP!”), a pink worm envisions an equally large apple pie that it can have all to itself. But as community-minded bugs approach, each dreaming of a portion, the worm inhales the entire apple (“CHOMP!”), reducing the fruit to its tall, skinny core. Deserted by the devastated insects, the now circular worm is easy pickings for a salivating brown bird that’s even bigger than the apple. When the other insects come to the rescue, delivering a decisive bite to the bird’s tail (“CRUNCH”) that sends it packing, the worm makes amends by planting the apple core’s seeds, ensuring there will be plenty of apples to go around—eventually. Digital artwork by Newman (Found) has the bold, bright fill-in colors and idiosyncratic detail (all the characters sport jaunty hats) that brings to mind birthday party caricatures; the story seems to be taking shape before readers’ eyes. The combination of savory onomatopoeia and eye-popping visual treatment makes a familiar story feel fresh and tasty. Ages 4–8. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

2022-10-26
Kindness can beget kindness.

When a worm’s meal is interrupted by a large “THUMP!” above its head, the worm’s subsequent discovery of a large apple elicits fantasies of a delicious apple pie. But this tasty fantasy is interrupted by the arrival of other equally eager bugs looking to partake in the feast. Imagining having to share the pie with the others, the titular greedy worm does what greedy worms do…and eats the entire apple in a gluttonous frenzy. Full of apple-y goodness, the worm resembles a sphere, making it difficult to run and hide when a hungry bird suddenly appears. Instead of letting the greedy worm become the second course, the shortchanged bugs hold back the bird and frighten it off, giving the worm time to consider its poor manners. Using seeds from the apple’s core, the worm sets out to grow an apple tree so that all the bugs will have more than enough food to share in the future. It’s a fun (almost) wordless story that relies on its graphically bold, doodlelike illustrations to put as much energy and emotions into the bugs as possible. Caregivers and educators will love having emerging readers relay the story to them, and the message is one that readers of all ages will be happy to hear again and again. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A winsome tale sure to worm its way into readers’ hearts. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews