School Library Journal

Piggie and Elephant have a grave dilemma: Should they read a book about worms, even if they are uncertain how it will end? They bravely decide to, and as they read, they meet a tiger who is also afraid of worms. Worms are obviously slimy and wiggly, thinks Tiger. Suddenly every object Tiger comes upon is related to worms. Flowers plus dirt equal worms. Crunchy apples equal worms. A book on the ground with a wiggly illustration must be a worm, too! Tiger runs away just as a group of striped worms declares it is afraid of tigers. Ultimately, the worms realize the book Tiger left behind is about tigers, but will they be daring enough to read it? Fans of Piggie and Elephant will be drawn to this title because of Willems’s familiar text style. The accompanying illustrations on white and colored backgrounds effectively show the characters’ energy and emotions. VERDICT Readers will identify with the characters’ reluctance to try new things and learning about unfamiliar ­topics.