Worm Makes a Sandwich

The slithery pink narrator of this funny, slyly instructive gardening tale by Farley (Dozens of Doughnuts) gets straight to the point: “I’d like to make you a sandwich, all by myself.” In truth, Worm doesn’t assemble a sandwich (“I know what you’re thinking! You’re just a worm! Worms are so little! Worms don’t have hands”) so much as foreground its role in enriching the soil for growing a plump, sandwich-worthy tomato. As Worm provides running commentary (“The dirt is not for your sandwich. The dirt is for a wee little seed”), a series of lush, lightly annotated mixed-media illustrations depict a child with auburn pigtails and pale skin assembling a compost pile and cultivating a garden, and a number of other creatures playing their own roles. When the tomato finally ripens, and the child savors it al fresco between bread slices, Worm takes full credit: “I knew I could do it! I knew it all along.” But who can blame Worm? Small actions, taken by even the smallest among us, can add up to delicious results. Back matter provides additional composting information. Ages 3–7. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary. (Feb.)