Warm and delightful, this tale will stay with readers long after they turn the last page.
Besties Worm and Caterpillar share lessons on friendship in this graphic novel for early readers.
While pink and purple Worm tends to notice what the two pals have in common, green and orange Caterpillar is fast to point out that they’re not the same. They may both be afraid of birds, but Caterpillar loves leaves while Worm eats dirt. Worm crawls on their belly, but Caterpillar has legs (16 of them!). Keen readers will understand quickly why Caterpillar is concerned—Worm says they’re best friends “because we are the same!” and Caterpillar knows that things are bound to change. In fact, as Caterpillar spins their chrysalis, Worm is already worrying about their altered buddy. And by the time Caterpillar is ready to emerge, they fret that Worm may no longer like them. When Caterpillar (now Butterfly) pops out, Worm is initially afraid, but with care and trust, Worm is able to accept and love Butterfly for who they’ve always been. Worm learns along with readers that love is not a surface-level emotion and that true connections bind us deeply to each other. The art is joyful, colorful, and expressive, with emotions reading perfectly on the cartoon insects' faces. Overall, it’s an appealing read with a message of acceptance that caregivers will be able to easily apply to real life.
Warm and delightful, this tale will stay with readers long after they turn the last page. (Graphic early reader. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66592-001-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
Fast and furious action guaranteed to keep new readers laughing and turning pages.
Never underestimate the chaotic fun that magic and an angry bouncing ball can create.
When Frog goes to the library, he borrows a book on magic. He then heads to a nearby park to read up on the skills necessary to becoming “a great magician.” Suddenly, a deflated yellow ball lands with a “Thud!” at his feet. Although he flexes his new magician muscles, Frog’s spells fall as flat as the ball. But when Frog shouts “Phooey!” and kicks the ball away, it inflates to become a big, angry ball. The ball begins to chase Frog, so he seeks shelter in the library—and Frog and ball turn the library’s usual calm into chaos. The cartoon chase crescendos. The ball bounces into the middle of a game of chess, interrupts a puppet show, and crashes into walls and bookcases. Staying just one bounce ahead, Frog runs, hides, grabs a ride on a book cart, and scatters books and papers as he slides across the library furniture before an alligator patron catches the ball and kicks it out the library door. But that’s not the end of the ball….Caple’s tidy panels and pastel-hued cartoons make a surprisingly effective setting for the slapstick, which should have young readers giggling. Simple sentences—often just subject and verb—with lots of repetition propel the action. Frog’s nonsense-word spells (“Poof Wiffle, Bop Bip!”) are both funny and excellent practice in phonetics. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Fast and furious action guaranteed to keep new readers laughing and turning pages. (Graphic early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4341-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
Will draw more eyes than ever to the antics of this tuberous twosome.
Can Rot Poe Tater scare the snot out of Snot, his irritating big brother? Maybe with help from friends!
Tired of being the victim of his sib’s mischievous pranks, Rot, an anthropomorphic potato, is determined to turn the tables. Unfortunately, Snot seems to have eyes in the back of his head (no surprise, considering that he’s a potato), and even with a new pair of sneakers, Rot just can’t get the drop on him. Where can Rot learn to be even sneakier? Spy school, of course! Though Rot makes a hash out of lessons in keeping secrets and other spy skills, he finds classmates with complementary talents willing to help dish up a plan clever enough to startle the smirking older spud into a spectacularly gooey sneeze. And rather than mashing down his booger-blasted little bro, Snot gives him grudging props. Rot and pals rush to celebrate over a plate of only slightly slimed cupcakes (yum!), and the tale closes with a roguish final twist. The art, peeled down to the essentials and made with a mix of earth-toned paints, digital effects, and potato prints, adds to the episode’s air of mildly decayed charm.
Will draw more eyes than ever to the antics of this tuberous twosome. (nature facts, pranking guidelines, drawing lesson) (Graphic fiction. 6-8)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781665964302
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
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