Toni D’Alia (text) and Mimi Purnell (illustrator), Worms Are Our Friends, Bright Light, June 2024, 24 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781761212994
Toni D’Alia has released a new faction picture book in her series ‘Our Friends in the Garden’. This one is about worms, and it is an absolute delight! Following on from the 2022 release of Bees are our Friends (with a different illustrator), readers return to the garden to meet another hard-working minibeast. A third book by D’Alia, Frogs are our Friends will be available June 2025.
These books are marketed at preschoolers but will appeal to adults and children alike. Worms Are Our Friends shares simple facts about the contributions worms make to the ecosystem such as aerating the soil, creating compost, enriching the soil with their castings and providing food for birds. It is sure to encourage young people to explore their natural environment. The final page shares 8 simple worm facts, slightly extending the information in the text.
The digital illustrations by Mimi Purnell are vibrant. Most pages are appropriately kept to a worm’s eye view, with a few images being subterranean. The worms are depicted with their saddle, and artistic licence has been employed as eyes and smiles are added, making them quite endearing. The beautiful endpapers and the eye-catching front cover with sparkly foil stamping signify a high-end product.
Worms Are Our Friends is a joyous, beautiful picture book that is likely to wriggle its way into the hearts of all bookworms, and a worthy selection for the 2025 CBCA Notables in the Picture Book category.
Highly recommended for ages 0 – 8 years old.
Reviewed by Bronwyn Joseph
