Brianne Farley Answers Questions About Worms, Sandwiches, and Art for STEM

 by Sue Heavenrich

The first time I read Worm Makes a Sandwich, I laughed out loud – because, seriously, how can a worm even make a sandwich? Author/illustrator, Brianne Farley points this out:

Worms don’t have hands!

They cannot make sandwiches!

And yet. Worm is SO earnest. He so much wants to make a sandwich. He just needs one thing…

And then he’s all ready… nope. He needs one more thing… or three.

Some of the things he needs (garbage, dirt) are not for your sandwich. But that tomato is. All worm needs is for you to slice that tomato. And maybe do just a couple more things.

Other than that, he’s got this covered. He is definitely making you a sandwich!

The second time I read Worm Makes a Sandwich, I slowed down. I didn’t want to get indigestion! 

Spending more time on the page allowed me to savor the words and enjoy the mouthfeel of reading them aloud. Spending more time on the page gave me the chance to dive into the illustrations. And that’s when I knew I just had to talk to Brianne! I caught up to her last month just before lunchtime. She and Hank (her dog) were hanging out in her creative space in her home. I am so grateful that Brianne was open to answering a few questions about sandwiches and making art.

Me: I love that Worm Makes a Sandwich is all about the process of composting! Do you have a science background?

Brianne (pronounced BREE-in): I thought about going into medical illustration and have a strong interest in biology. I even took ecology classes in college. I ended up with a degree in English and art, and then went on to get my MFA in illustration. But my science brain is curious. I like knowing how things work, and I like doing research. That’s a good thing, because every book takes me in a new research direction. And that’s because illustrations tell half the story, so I need to know all that stuff!

Me: I love that you are telling the story of composting through the point-of-view of an expert composter: a worm. What made you decide to write from the POV of the worm? And how did you land on their voice? 

photo by Michael Poehlman

Brianne: At one point in my life I lived in a small house with a small yard and a small garden. I had gotten a tumbler composter, but the winters were cold and the tumbler froze solid. I wondered how I could compost through frigid weather. I decided to try my hand at vermicomposting, so I ordered a worm bin and a thousand wiggly worms. It was fun and super-engaging. I found that I loved talking about my worms and also about composting.

When I decided to write about compost, I took videos of my compost so I could get a closer look at the critters helping to decompose my kitchen scraps. I also took photos of tomatoes growing in my garden, so I could capture the various stages over the season.

The process of composting provides the structure for my story, but I didn’t want it to be straight nonfiction. I got thinking about how I could make it narrative and landed on the concept of making a sandwich. Worms journey (from making compost to growing the tomato for the sandwich) is like any creative journey we have. We start with a Great Idea! And then we realize all the work that has to happen for that idea to take shape. And we face that moment when, like Worm, we ask: How can I even do this? 

Me: Yes, there is a great spread where Worm faces his “dark night of the soul.” He sees himself as a failure and says, “Maybe I can’t make a sandwich. Maybe I should try again when I’m bigger.”

Brianne: When I visit schools, I hear and see how early on in the process kids get frustrated in making art. They can see what the final product should look like, but it’s not coming out the way they envisioned it. Or it’s not happening fast enough. I try to let them know that frustration is a part of what we (artists) all go through – it’s part of the creative process.

Me:  One of the things I remember teaching my students in science class was how to glean information from various sources in their book: text, illustrations, captions, charts and graphs. So I love how you integrate science information in your illustrations. My favorite was the page with the list of foods that worm prefers: apple cores, mushy grapes… a great list on its own. But YOU add to that list by labeling additional items in the illustration: grass clippings, dry leaves, etc. You do this on a couple other spreads, too. 

Brianne: The gorgeous thing about picture books is that the text and illustrations combine to work as a whole. With this story, I started with way too much information and spent a lot of time cutting text. I wanted it to be easy and fun to read aloud. But I also love picture books with detailed illustrations you can come back to again and again, so I snuck a lot of that information back into the art for kids to discover on second and third readings. I had to keep telling myself that I didn’t have to write everything there is to know about compost – just enough to get readers interested. I also want kids to see where their food comes from.

Me: I love back matter in picture books! In yours, you explain what compost is, how to do it, and why people should compost.

Brianne: Yes, I really wanted to address some misconceptions about compost. The biggest misconception is that compost smells. It doesn’t! Another thing I wanted to make sure kids come away with is the understanding that we don’t have to send all that wonderful organic matter to the landfill. The bacteria in landfills create gases that contribute to global warming – we shouldn’t feed them. Also, if you make compost, you could grow a delicious tomato. Or you could give your compost to a neighbor who will share their yummy tomatoes with you.

Me: Thank you Brianne. This has been absolutely delightful, and all this talking about sandwiches has made me hungry! 

Brianne: Me, too. I’m having a bagel with cream cheese and cucumbers and shredded carrots on top.

Me: How funny! Mine is hummus with sliced cucumbers!

Note: No worms were harmed in the making of our sandwiches. You can find out more about Brianne and her wonderful books and art at her website, www.briannefarley.com