Dirty Gert [Paperback]

Gert loves dirt. She rolls in it, digs in it, even tastes it.

But one day, while she's making mud pies, all that dirt changes her.  Gert sprouts leaves, grows roots, and begins to photosynthesize in the sunlight! Gert is delighted, but the neighborhood can’t believe it. . . and soon the notoriety becomes too much for the grungy, green girl.

Luckily, Mom and Dad know just what to do!

Told in rhythm and rhyme and full of fun, tongue-twisting vocabulary,Dirty Gertis a celebration of individuality and unconditional love. . . and, of course, of the fun of playing in the dirt.  Tedd Arnold’s cartoonish illustrations—complete with a cast of whispering worm commentators—express the joy of making mudpies, playing with worms, and most importantly, spending time with your loving family.* 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'sDiary 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
Tedd Arnold is the best-selling author-illustrator of the Fly Guy series, with two Theodor SlsW