Project Description

Picture Books

BUY NOW

Herman and Marguerite

An Earth Story

by Jay O’Callahan
illustrated by Laura O’Callahan

What happens when an earthworm and a caterpillar become best friends?

Herman and Marguerite are two very different creatures. Herman, a shy earthworm, spends most of his time in the dark, crumbly earth, eating dead leaves and making tunnels. Marguerite, a lonely caterpillar, lives in the orchard above Herman’s underground world, where she munches on lots of plants, sings her songs, and waits for the time when she will become a butterfly.

When Herman and Marguerite meet, they become best friends, despite their differences. Together, they bring life back to the lonely orchard with their friendship and their songs. What happens next proves that believing in yourself and working together can accomplish just about anything―including changing the world around you!

Format: Paperback
Price: $7.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-283-5
Publication Date: 3/1/2003
Page Count: 36
Size: 9″ x 9″
Age Range: 4 – 8
Language: English
AR Level: 2.5
F&P: GRL N, Gr 3, Genre F
Lexile: AD420L

Reviews

“The text has a nice rhythm and the language is simple, yet filled with poetic imagery…. The illustrations are an appealing blend of cut-paper, collages and watercolor painting.” ―School Library Journal

“The enjoyment quotient is boosted considerably by the first-time illustrator’s cheery torn-paper collages. Punctuating the text with sunny bursts of color, they infuse these pages with an amiable brio.” ―Publishers Weekly

Awards

Storytelling World Resource Awards (Honor, Tellable Stories-Ages 4-7) ―Storytelling World, 1997

Family Channel’s Seal of Quality ―The Family Channel

Meet the Author

Jay O’Callahan tours the world, performing at festivals and in theaters. His stories have been heard on National Public Radio, The Voice of America, and Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. Audio recordings of his stories have won a number of awards, including the ALA Carnegie Award, the Indie Award, the National Educational Film Festival Award, and the Parents’ Choice Award, which he has received four times. O’Callahan lives in Massachusetts. You can visit his website here.

Meet the Illustrator

Laura O’Callahan is Jay O’Callahan’s daughter. She attended Oberlin and Gallaudet Colleges, where she was one of three hearing students in a year-long exchange program, and graduated from Northeastern University.