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Superworm
Superworm is super-long.
Superworm is super-strong.
Watch him wiggle! See him Squirm!
Hip, hip, hooray for SUPERWORM!
Never fear Superworm is here - and he's wiggling to the rescue! He can be a lasso, a fishing-line, even a skipping-rope.
But who will rescue Superworm when he falls prey to a wicked Wizard Lizard? Luckily, all of his insect friends have a cunning plan ...
"Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are a combination made n heaven"
- Independent on Sunday
Superworm is super-strong.
Watch him wiggle! See him Squirm!
Hip, hip, hooray for SUPERWORM!
Never fear Superworm is here - and he's wiggling to the rescue! He can be a lasso, a fishing-line, even a skipping-rope.
But who will rescue Superworm when he falls prey to a wicked Wizard Lizard? Luckily, all of his insect friends have a cunning plan ...
"Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are a combination made n heaven"
- Independent on Sunday
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 6, 2012
About the author
Julia Donaldson
1,173 books1,711 followersGrowing up
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
July 9, 2021
Although Julia Donaldson's Superworm is a fun enough and poetically rollicking little story (and yes indeed, Axel Scheffler's accompanying illustrations are once again a visually engaging and expressive compliment to Donaldson's presented verses), personally (and indeed as an adult reader) I have found Superworm not all that much to my tastes. For while the story of how Superworm both helps other animals and also acts like a skipping rope, a fishing rod, a hula hoop etc. is definitely fun and engaging, I cannot help but be more than a bit worried that young children might end up for example digging up an earthworm from the garden to try to imitate all of this. However, even more of an issue for me with regard to Superworm is that the two main villains absolutely and obviously need to be an evil lizard and an evil crow, two animal species that have often had over the millennia an undeservedly nasty and negative reputation (and indeed, I really do wish that Julia Donaldson would not be perpetuating the myth and superstition that lizards and crows are somehow not to be trusted, are evil, greedy and vile in and of themselves). Therefore, I for one am definitely not all that much impressed with and by the stereotypical villain depiction and portrayals in Superworm. And indeed, I really also do have to wonder and question whether Julia Donaldson herself might have some deep down fears and phobias, hatreds regarding specifically reptiles and crows (as truth be told, even in many of her other picture books, in particular crows and reptiles are often both depicted and described as being and appearing rather negatively at best).
March 18, 2014
“Superworm is super-long.
Superworm is super-strong.
Watch him wiggle! See him squirm!
Hip, hip hooray for SUPERWORM!”
This book is a joy to read. Sure to put a smile on your face. There is just something fun and new about a superhero worm to the rescue!
Vivid colors—blacks, purples, yellows, and more—jump off the big pages and pictures with action and fun! One minute Superworm is a lasso the next a skipping rope! Hehe…All with a smile on his little pink face. And the words! Rhyming lines and words tell the tale with energy and exclamation points. Words like juicy, croak, rumbling, creep and crawl. Fun words to say out loud with a smile. Words that bring a room alive!
A wonderful story and message that show readers of all ages that if we band together—we can all be superheroes. The true blue power of friendship saves the day!
January 5, 2024
Superworm is a hero, he is super-long and super-strong so he is capable of all sorts of things.
In this delightful story he saves a toad who has hopped onto the road, helps the bees stop feeling bored and saves a beetle that falls down a well. All the toads, beetles, bees and bugs clap and cheer Superworm; 'Hip, hip, hooray for SUPERWORM' is their chant.
But then Superworm is captured by the wicked Wizard Lizard who sends his servant the black and grim crow to go and fetch him to their lair. When Superworm tries to escape the Lizard's magic makes him stay, so what is he to do?
The Lizard has him trying to find treasure but in the meantime his friends hatch a cunning plan to rescue him. The garden creatures, the caterpillars and the spiders devise a way to trap the Wizard Lizard and free Superworm and it works to perfection.
Superworm is then back to being super-long and super-strong and he is able to apply his skills to giving the garden creatures plenty of good fun.
Written in verse, 'Superworm' is another winner from the Julia Donaldson/Axel Scheffler team.
In this delightful story he saves a toad who has hopped onto the road, helps the bees stop feeling bored and saves a beetle that falls down a well. All the toads, beetles, bees and bugs clap and cheer Superworm; 'Hip, hip, hooray for SUPERWORM' is their chant.
But then Superworm is captured by the wicked Wizard Lizard who sends his servant the black and grim crow to go and fetch him to their lair. When Superworm tries to escape the Lizard's magic makes him stay, so what is he to do?
The Lizard has him trying to find treasure but in the meantime his friends hatch a cunning plan to rescue him. The garden creatures, the caterpillars and the spiders devise a way to trap the Wizard Lizard and free Superworm and it works to perfection.
Superworm is then back to being super-long and super-strong and he is able to apply his skills to giving the garden creatures plenty of good fun.
Written in verse, 'Superworm' is another winner from the Julia Donaldson/Axel Scheffler team.
December 25, 2023
Another banger from Julia and Axel :)
August 8, 2014
Why oh why is the lizard and the crow portrayed as the evil antagonists in most stories. Lizards get rid of the unwanted insects (flies), while the crow is an amazing intelligent bird. Better the evil ones should be portrayed by cute kittens and lovable puppies, rather than reptiles or birds. You always have to clean up after the dog, otherwise you will step in it, and the cat will never mind you, but will scratch and destroy anything of value in your home. Bad cat, bad dog, good lizard, good crow!
December 27, 2020
Lucy likes to read this book to me.
June 6, 2023
Суперчервей е добър и супергерой. Може да се скача на въже с него, да спасява бръмбъри и жаби. И понеже е супердобър, когато има нужда от помощ всички се втурват да помагат. Защото дори и супергероите имат нужда от приятели!
May 8, 2020
Superworm really is super.
We really love this book. The rhyming text and lovely clear pictures make my a pleasure to read and share.
We really love this book. The rhyming text and lovely clear pictures make my a pleasure to read and share.
August 16, 2020
Superworm is an exceptionally long, strong and accommodating worm always happy to help out his neighbours. Superworm seems to view these creatures as his friends but they seem quick to take advantage of his unusual size, strength and good nature. Whilst at first this is for reasonable requests such as rescuing children from busy roads and wells things quickly escalate with some of them even going as far as to use him as a skipping rope at one point. The book takes a further dark and unexpected twist when he is kidnapped and enslaved by a wizard who is also inexplicably a lizard. Superworm is forced to borrow underground looking for treasure under threat of being fed to a crow. His neighbours presumably full of remorse for the way they used superworm in the past band together and mount a brave assault on the lizard Wizard, stripping him of his magic powers. Superworm returns home, any hopes that his neighbours may have learnt from this experience are quickly dashed as they quickly resume their bizarre and cruel treatment of him using him as, amongst other things, a slide with little regard for his comfort. This causes the reader to question if his neighbours are really any better than the wizard. An enjoyable read but came away feeling sad as the takeaway message seems to be that nice guys finish last.
January 25, 2014
Watch him wiggle, see him squirm, there's no-one quite like Superworm! This is a fun and fantastically illustrated book that tells the story of rhyme of Superworm, a hero to all the bugs, who is abducted and bewitched by wizard lizard, only to be rescued by his little friends. It is funny, charming and exciting. The pictures are bright and clear and it is nice to have a super hero from something the children just take for granted. There is lots of positive teaching in this rhyme book. This book has lovely pictures, a fun storyline, nice rhyming catchy text and great to bring for a literacy lesson for those in the younger age category.
June 8, 2014
Started out cute but the the rest felt forced and weird.
August 2, 2019
Superworm hero, and protector of the weak, finds himself in a trap when he's held captive by Wizard Lizard. It takes a group effort to set things right. This rhyming tale is a fun read.
August 23, 2023
We have invented a song featuring this brave worm. That's all I need to say :)
September 20, 2019
I finally went to the library in the next town over because my request for this wasn't being filled. Ack. Again, mixed feelings. The basic message is good, the humorous twist of a rope-like hero is funny (though cringe-worthy) and the bad guys are just, well, wrong.
For one thing, it's crows who like treasure, so I'm not sure what the point of demonizing a lizard is. Crow or magpie wizard, robin henchman would have at least fit for plausibility. At least now maybe children won't demonize worms?
For one thing, it's crows who like treasure, so I'm not sure what the point of demonizing a lizard is. Crow or magpie wizard, robin henchman would have at least fit for plausibility. At least now maybe children won't demonize worms?
September 16, 2020
Superworm is a fun and original story that is bound to put a smile on a child’s face and, if used as a read aloud book, is guaranteed to get the children chanting along. The illustrations throughout the book are bold and in vivid colours that would help to explain the story to children who are not fully confident readers. The use of rhyme throughout the book encourage the reader to read the story with enthusiasm. It demonstrates to children good teamwork and how it doesn’t matter who you are, anyone can be a superhero.
September 7, 2019
I enjoyed this story. The very accommodating worm rescues his friends, so when he is in trouble, his friends put together a daring and clever plan to rescue him. The cartoon illustrations by Alex Scheffler are detailed and humorous.
August 31, 2014
Words and images are both delightful. My only concern is that the target audience (kindergarten and pre-kindergarten) will get the idea that they can do with worms what Superworm is able to do in this book--i.e. serve as a belt, a lasso, etc. Can you tell that I have a certain fondness for worms?
December 3, 2018
I would say this is my favourite story written by Donaldson, I love the flow of the text and the rhymes throughout. The story is entertaining and gripping for children. I read this aloud to a class of Reception children for shared reading, all of whom were gripped and enjoyed the story very much.
September 16, 2019
I won’t give away whether the worm gets saved in the end, but regardless, definitely the best kids book I’ve ever read. Will update whether it has the same appeal after daily re-reads, in a month’s time.
December 1, 2023
Donaldsonin ja Schefflerin kirjat ovat melkein aina herkkua eikä tämä tee poikkeusta. Kuvat ovat kauniita ja teksti hersyvää - tästä tietenkin kiitos suomentajalle.
Nyt myös saksankielisenä luettu pari kertaa kun tuli mukaan Frankfurtin kentältä.
Nyt myös saksankielisenä luettu pari kertaa kun tuli mukaan Frankfurtin kentältä.
January 16, 2018
So so so cute! The ONLY thing I didn’t love abt this one is that the words are kind of spaced weird on the pages but tbh that’s on me for not reading it before reading it aloud.
March 6, 2022
Noah enjoys it. Though not as much as the TV adaptation.
March 10, 2022
Ако кажем, че всяка новоиздадена у нас книга на Джулия Доналдсън и Алекс Шефлър е един малък книжен празник, хммм… би било лъжа. Защото всяка нова книга на знаменития творчески тандем си е ГОЛЯМ книжен празник. Пък дори и когато героят на историята е съвсем съвсем миниатюрен. За доста хора червеите са нещо лигаво, гнусно и неприятно, но ако вече сте чели някои от прекрасните приказки на Джулия Доналдсън, то вероятно знаете, че британската детска писателка е истински майстор на изненадите и с лекота успява да промени представите ни за определени герои. В нейните книги малките мишоци се превръщат в големи герои, а огнедишащите дракони отказват да отвличат принцеси и се превръщат в летящи линейки. Каква ли роля е отредила Джулия Доналдсън за едно симпатично червейче? Превърнала го е в… „Суперчервей“ (изд. „Жанет 45“)! Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...
February 19, 2020
Super worm is super cute!
September 10, 2021
This is one of my three-year-old's favorites. She requests it every time we go to the library.
September 16, 2022
Poesi som nästan blir en rap. Fin berättelse om hur småkrypen kommer samman för att rädda masken undan teollkarsödlan och kråkan. Här en våran supermask! Slingrar ringlar och går an, ingen är så bra som han!
August 8, 2023
My son loves this book! And Julia Donaldson is always fun to read.
December 1, 2020
#124 of 2020
October 5, 2013
In this book we have a worm that is super strong and super long. The worm wiggles along the animal land to different creatures and helps them in their time of need. He goes around to rescue animals who are in trouble or helps them when they are bored.
The creatures in the town look up to superworm and vakue him, they chant and cheer. However during the book a wizard lizard orders his crow to go and bring the worm to him. Once there, the lizard orders superworm to wriggle through the soil to find him treasure. if not he will feed superworm to his crow.
All the animals in the village get together and come up with a plan to capture the lizard, once caught the creatures fly him and put him In the rubbish dump. Suoerworm manages to find his way. back to his friends.
This book is quite enjoyable. It would be great for young children in Ks1. it can be used to teach children the importance of friendship and working together. As the book has rhymes it can be used as a great introduction to the topic.
The creatures in the town look up to superworm and vakue him, they chant and cheer. However during the book a wizard lizard orders his crow to go and bring the worm to him. Once there, the lizard orders superworm to wriggle through the soil to find him treasure. if not he will feed superworm to his crow.
All the animals in the village get together and come up with a plan to capture the lizard, once caught the creatures fly him and put him In the rubbish dump. Suoerworm manages to find his way. back to his friends.
This book is quite enjoyable. It would be great for young children in Ks1. it can be used to teach children the importance of friendship and working together. As the book has rhymes it can be used as a great introduction to the topic.
February 8, 2014
"Superworm is super-long.
Superworm is super-strong.
Watch him wiggle! See him squirm!
Hip, hip, hooray for SUPERWORM!"
This chant is often heard throughout the forest as Superworm saves and rescues many friends. Unfortunately, the Wizard Lizard hears it and decides he needs to control Superworm and makes him dig and tunnel for buried treasure. As Superworm is held captive, his forest friends devise a masterful plan to free him and rid themselves of the nasty wizard at the same time. When their mission is successful, Superworm is free to be useful in many ways once again. Superworm has many talents. He can be a swing or slide for small insects to play on. Or he can be a trendy belt or unique hat. Whatever he is doing, he is doing it with a smile as he makes all of his friends happy.
Superworm is super-strong.
Watch him wiggle! See him squirm!
Hip, hip, hooray for SUPERWORM!"
This chant is often heard throughout the forest as Superworm saves and rescues many friends. Unfortunately, the Wizard Lizard hears it and decides he needs to control Superworm and makes him dig and tunnel for buried treasure. As Superworm is held captive, his forest friends devise a masterful plan to free him and rid themselves of the nasty wizard at the same time. When their mission is successful, Superworm is free to be useful in many ways once again. Superworm has many talents. He can be a swing or slide for small insects to play on. Or he can be a trendy belt or unique hat. Whatever he is doing, he is doing it with a smile as he makes all of his friends happy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews