By Gary Larson, author of The Far Side, who has created a hilarious and wacky tale filled with ecological insight. Nature is part of us and we are a part of nature. The hilarity in this illustrated tale may help readers in their adjustment to reality. Highly recommended. 8½" X 11"

Lumpy humans, anthropomorphized animals, dark and quirky humor: all the vintage hallmarks of Gary Larson's comic genius are on view in this long-awaited new book. This time, Larson's millions of fans will get to follow original new characters as they slither through Larson's first sustained narrative. It begins a few inches underneath the forest floor, when, during a typical worm dinner, a young whiny worm finds a hair in his dirt and begins complaining about his lot in life. His father then tells him a story. A story about a nature-loving woman and her adventuresome walk in the woods. A hilarious take on the difference between our idealized view of nature and the cold, hard reality of life for the birds and the bees (and the worms). There's a Hair in My Dirt is Larson at his off-kilter best. This story puts in print how naturalists talk about nature when children are not around. Side by side stories contrast the beautiful young maiden’s naive love of nature with the hard realities of how ecosystems function. Nature is part of us and we are a part of nature.