Arthur and the Earthworms - Softcover

The stories are full of amusing pictures and these, combined with the quirky yet highly credible characters, give guaranteed appeal to young readers. Great to read aloud too and adults will enjoy the humour. They are just that little bit different and stand out from many other books for this age group. --Parents in Touch

Full of understated humour which is so appealing to growing boys, Arthur narrates his own stories and brings the straightforward, rational world view that comes from being only seven ... Brought to life by Clare Elsom s quirky illustrations, the witty, wonderful adventures of Arthur and his merry ménage look set to run and run. --Lancashire Evening Post

This is a story remarkable for its ordinariness - no spaceships or pirates or dinosaurs in underpants; just an old-fashioned tale about a boy told with great humour and charm. The simple black and white illustrations are wonderful and add immensely to the enjoyment of the book. With short chapters and several illustrations breaking up the text, the book should suit newly confident readers who enjoy a straightforward and amusing tale. --Innis Magazine (Children's Books Ireland)

Johanne Mercier is the author of a number of very successful books for children, both novels and picture books as well as the Arthur series. She lives in Quebec. Daniel Hahn is an award-winning writer, researcher and translator and editor of The Ultimate Book Guide, The Ultimate First Book Guide and The Ultimate Teen Book Guide. His translations include Brazilian footballer Pelé's autobiography and Angolan writer José Eduardo Agalusa's The Book of Chameleons, winner of the 2007 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and Happiness is a Watermelon on Your Head, also published by Phoenix Yard Books. He is assistant editor of The Oxford Companion to English Literature and currently compiling a new Oxford Companion to Children's Literature. Clare Elsom grew up in Oxford. She's always loved drawing and took a degree in illustration at University College Falmouth. She now works full time as an illustrator, and particularly enjoyed drawing Arthur. 'Drawing him came very naturally to me', she says, 'It's almost like he was already in my head, waiting for me to read the story and bring his image to life. I'm also slightly envious of his pet duck. Well, who wouldn't want a pet duck?!'