MUDDLE & MO'S WORM SURPRISE

Continuing the story of the unlikely pair introduced in Muddle & Mo (2017), Slade draws readers’ attention to what is often the most important topic in children’s books: food.

The confused yellow duckling Muddle, who in the earlier title had a hard time understanding that goat Mo was not a duck, announces the intention to make them a picnic. The goat looks anxious after hearing what’s on the menu: Worm Surprise. The goat fears that it will be obliged to eat something unsuitable for herbivores and becomes more and more despondent as the duck rushes about enthusiastically gathering worms and bugs. Too polite to object, Mo follows as Muddle drags a hefty picnic basket up a steep hill. The picture of despair, Mo awaits the opening of the basket. However…“Surprise!” The thoughtful duck has prepared two different lunches, worms and greens. Mo announces with relief, “I like your Worm Surprise lunch.” The cartoonlike but highly expressive characters are depicted in delicate pencil and wash drawings on a beige parchment-textured background. The simple but original dialogue-only text is perfect for beginning readers—they speak in clearly different typefaces—and kids will enjoy the subtle humor of this slightly wacky friendship between two such different animals.

Welcome back, Muddle and Mo