Friday, April 25, 2025

Picture Book Friday

 

Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends, written and illustrated by Kaz Windness, is an entertaining and informative story for beginning readers in the popular graphics style.

What a happy way to learn some very basic details about two of nature’s creatures as they compare and contrast their lives. Worm eats dirt: caterpillar eats leaves. Worm crawls on his belly; Caterpillar has legs. But both of them fear hungry birds!

And in the process of learning about each other, these two face a real challenge to their friendship when Caterpillar undergoes metamorphosis. Is that change going to be one difference too many? “Can we still be friends?” asks Worm. “Yes, best friends,” answers Butterfly.

Windness offers an introduction to graphic format and provides simple information about how to recognize speech and thought bubbles with a reminder to read each page left to right and top to bottom. Short sentences, basic vocabulary, and bright eye-catching visuals make for an altogether fun read.

Windness also provides additional enrichment with pages illustrating the life cycle of a worm and a butterfly along with simple step-by-step instructions on how to draw both.

This Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book would be a charming introduction to a nature study of these two creatures. It would be equally useful as a resource for a discussion of friendships as it conveys the value of recognizing and celebrating both our differences and similarities.

Recommended for home and school libraries.

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