The Dirt Book: Poems About Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet | Paperback

Unearth the glorious mysteries that lie beneath our feet with 15 fun and fact-filled poems about soil--what it is, how it's made, and who lives in it!

A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
Named to the Texas Bluebonnet Master List

Spectacular vertical panoramas illustrating life underground accompany 15 funny, fascinating poems that explore dirt and the many creatures that make their homes underground.  Spiders, earthworms, ants, chipmunks and more crawl across the pages, between stretching roots and buried stones. 

Chipmunk, for such a little squirt
you sure do move a lot of dirt,
you sure do dig your tunnels deep,
you sure do find some nuts to keep,
you sure do know your underground.
Chipmunk, you sure do get around.

This unique celebration of dirt-- what makes it, what lives in it, and the many wonderful things the soil does to support life on our planet-- is a whimsical, cleverly-illustrated pick for kids who love animals...  or who just love playing in the mud. 

From the creators of And the Bullfrogs Sing, a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, this intriguing, uniquely charming nature book has been vetted by experts and includes an author's note with more information about all the featured creatures, as well as a bibliography.

★An NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students
★An NCTE Notable Poetry Book

★ "This charming picture book is a splendid way to encourage an understanding and appreciation for nature and the often-unseen life that inhabits the planet alongside humans."—Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

★"An appealing mix of lively poems, engrossing pictures, and smart bookmaking."—Kirkus Reviews

★"The best part of this title is the gorgeous illustrations, done with coloured pencils and digital tools. Realistic and creative, they offer more information about the animals than the poems. Readers of many ages will enjoy poring over the illustrations and observing all the details."—School Library Journal

★"Fittingly laid out in a vertical format to take readers deep down into the ground, the full-bleed illustrations showcase gorgeous earth tones sparked with turquoise, yellow, peach, and lavender. Coloured pencil has been manipulated digitally to resemble pastels and depicts a charming world aglow with life. Inviting in every way, this book is perfect for units on soil and animal habitats and is every bit as pleasurable for leisure reading."—School Library Connection
 
★"The vertical double spread layout showcases activity at different depths, with Cosgrove’s lush coloured pencil and digital renderings an array of sophisticated colors and designerly patterns that fairly begs to be translated to fabric print. End matter comprises a chatty paragraph of additional information and a brief bibliography for each poem."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books