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There's a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm's Story | 
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| Author: Gary Larson
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $12.95
Buy New: $6.50
You Save: $6.45 (50%)
New (36) Used (22) Collectible (1) from $6.00
Rating:  65 reviews
Sales Rank: 57247
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 64
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 10.6 x 8.3 x 0.2
ISBN: 0060932740
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780060932749
ASIN: 0060932740
Publication Date: November 1, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: item is from our store location and may have minor shelf wear or minor creases.
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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
Product Description
Once upon a time in a place far away, lived a man named Gary Larson who used to draw cartoons. It was a cartoon that appeared for many years in daily newspapers and was loved by millions. (And was confusing to millions more.) But one day he stopped. Gary went into hiding. He made a couple short films. He played his guitar. He threw sticks for his dogs. They threw some back. Yet Gary was restless. He couldn't sleep nights. Something haunted him. (Besides Gramps.) Something that would return him to his roots in biology, drawing and dementia--a tale called There's a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm's Story. It begins a few inches underground, when a young worm, during a typical family dinner, discovers there's a hair in his plate of dirt. He becomes rather upset, not just about his tainted meal but about his entire miserable, wormy life. This, in turn, spurs his father to tell him a story--a story to inspire the children of invertebrates everywhere. And so Father Worm describes the saga of a fair young maiden and her adventuresome stroll through her favorite forest, a perambulator's paradise. It is a journey filled with mystery and magic. Or so she thinks. Which is all we'll say for now.
What exactly does the maiden encounter?
Does Son Worm learn a lesson?
More important, does he eat his plate of fresh dirt?
Well, you'll have to read to find out, but let's just say the answers are right under your feet. Written and illustrated in a children's storybook style, There's a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm's Story is a twisted take on the difference between our idealized view of Nature and the sometimes cold, hard reality of life for the birds and the bees and the worms (not to mention our own species). Told with his trademark off-kilter humor, this first original non--Far Side book is the unique work of a comic master. Now Larson can finally sleep at night. Question is, will you?
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| Customer Reviews: Read 60 more reviews...
 Look out below! October 19, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The book is well illustrated, educational and amusing but not hilarious. The story cleverly shows the interconnectedness of nature and this doesn't immediately bring to mind controversy unless you take into consideration the eccentric mind of Gary Larson. The guy tackles the subject matter of death in book that is one part fairy tale and two parts biology. The conclusion I gather is that readers should find consolation for the loss of life, human and otherwise, in the knowledge that death is natural and that all things dead allow the cycle of life to continue eternally.
My seven year old may understand that nature reclaims all things living, but let me tell you, if the tree that holds his swing out back happens to blow down, he will grieve the loss and have difficulty appreciating the upside to this natural occurrence (that a rotten log positively teams with life). Death is, of course, the natural conclusion to life but I don't think anyone should be expected to view it so clinically. Feelings persist long after our remains are long gone.
 I love this book, but then that's me May 5, 2008
Gary Larson can do no wrong. I absolutely agree with his depiction of the ignorance of too many people when it comes to understanding the natural order of things. He pokes fun at this ignorance relentlessly. The conclusion of the book may be disturbing to some (two members of my family were not pleased), but is nonetheless true. To sum up its simple message: Learn how things in the wild actually work before you act to influence them.
A hilarious science lesson December 23, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I know this is marketed as a "young adult" book, and certainly my 7th-grade daughter loved it. I have to say, though, that I was laughing out loud on most pages! The story format allows Larson to develop a much deeper and more subtle level of humor than in a single-panel Far Side cartoon. Throughout it all, Larson delivers a valuable lesson in forest ecology, showing how much of what we romaticize or demonize about forest animals is wrong.
Despite the appearance, this is not a children's book. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone under 10, and even then it depends on the kid. There's some language that'll go over the head of many kids. Also, there's a lot of death, both animal and human. (While I thought the bear bringing tartar sauce to where his compatriots had felled a fisherman was funny, some kids might be upset. Heck, some kids might be upset by the remains of the picnicking bugs that the dragonflies ate.)
This is a relatively short book, but it's worth taking time to thoroughly look at each picture. Many of them contain a lot of visual gags that are easy to miss if you whip through too quickly. An adult can still do a thorough perusal of the book in under an hour, but it'll be a mightily entertaining hour.
More of the same from Larson (thank goodness!) September 1, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This parody of a children's story features a worm family, a young maiden and Gary Larson's twisted sense of humor and love of science. The illustrations are great, filled with little "Far Side" scenes as well as a larger storyline. If you are a fan of "Far Side" you know that Larson is a master of one panel, one-liner jokes. He can also use his twisted sense of humor and love of science in a larger, ongoing plot as well.
Be prepared - this is a quick read. It took me about 15 minutes. Also, it looks like a little kid's book (K-3), but it is not. There are language and thematic issues that you should be aware of before handing it to your first-grader. On the other hand, your middle schooler will love it!
Enjoyable, but probably not intended for younger kids May 24, 2007
I enjoyed reading the book, in particular the small humorous details scattered throughout (ie: the eagle carrying the poodle to the nest, Harriet stepping on the ants she just praised) that gave me flashes back to both Larson's Far Side cartoons and the small Sergio Aragones cartoons sprinled in the margins of old MAD magazines.
I had intended to read it to my kids (aged 7 & under), but I think the ending is a bit too creepy for those ages. (But I do think it's a perfectly fitting ending).
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