Carl and the Meaning of Life
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From the often Caldecott-buzzed Deborah Freedman, a sweet and funny story about finding your place in the world.
Carl is an earthworm. He spends his days happily tunneling in the soil until a field mouse asks him a simple question that stops him short: "Why?" Carl's quest takes him on an adventure to meet all the animals of the forest, each of whom seems to know exactly what they were put on this earth to do, unlike the curious Carl. But it's not until the world around him has changed that Carl begins to realize everyone, no matter how small, makes a big difference just by being themselves.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Freedman introduces Carl by telling readers what he is not: "Carl was not a bird" (nor a bear, nor a beaver). Carl is an earthworm, and he lives underneath the other forest animals. A cross-section of soil shows Carl next to a curling line of type describing his daily activities: "burrowing, tunneling, digesting dead leaves... turning hard dirt into fluffy soil." When a field mouse asks him why he does what he does, Carl's search for answers keeps him away from his work, and the earth dries up around him. "I can't find any grubs!" cries a ground beetle. With that, Carl understands his purpose. Freedman's spreads shows how tiny organisms help to keep the natural world in balance in this inventive worm's-eye view of the web of life. Ages 3 5.
