  | Dirt! : wild life under the soil's surface Author: Leigh, Lindsey | |
| Price: $22.58 | ||
Summary:
Did you know there is an entire ecosystem right beneath our feet? This nonfiction title will educate young readers about the wonders (and creepiness!) of animals that live underground, including worms, beetles, armadillos, badgers, and even the tiniest of protozoa. Follow-up to The Deep! and The Dark! Some pages in graphic novel format.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (07/15/25)
School Library Journal (10/01/25)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 10/01/2025 Gr 2–6—Following the format of two previous titles, The Deep! (about oceans) and The Dark! (on caves), The Dirt! starts with introductory chapters on soil that set the stage for the following dive into the wildlife found there. Those four chapters are divided by size of the creatures—mico, meso, macro and mega. With varying levels of description, Leigh covers an astounding 75 kinds of flora and fauna, including nematodes, rotifers, springtails, potworms, antlions, gopher tortoise, and caecilians just to name a few. She ends with a two-page chapter on saving the soil and an index of soil creatures. The book's tone is light, fun, and informative while not shying away from key elements of soil, such as death, decomposition, and poop. The use of panels, word bubbles, inserts, and dynamic text placement keeps the format lively without crossing into frenetic. The illustrations are a humorous, accessible mix of realism and anthropomorphism which will have wide appeal. VERDICT This engaging starter look at soil and the variety of the flora and fauna that live in it is a solid and appealing purchase for all libraries.—Catherine Callegari - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
