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Earl and Worm are neighbors with opposite personalities who sometimes agree and sometimes don’t, but manage to accommodate their differences and develop a real friendship.
Earl and Worm: The Bad Idea and Other Stories and Earl and Worm: The Big Mess and Other Stories by Greg Pizzoli. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2025. 72 pages.
- Reading Level: Early Readers/Chapter Books, ages 8-10
- Recommended For: Ages 4-10
In the spirit of Frog and Toad and other quirky best friends, Earl and Worm are neighbors with opposite personalities who sometimes agree and sometimes don’t, but manage to accommodate their differences and develop a real friendship.
Worm is quite content to stay at home, read her book, and drink tea with milk and sugar until Earl, the bird who lives next door, disturbs her peace by playing music to help his garden grow, borrows, the last of her sugar, and just can’t leave her alone. But perhaps…Worm doesn’t REALLY want to be all alone?
In another story, Worm wants to paint her shutters. She likes Earl’s suggestion, but is annoyed when he copies her idea more than once. When she tries to outsmart him, of course her plans go awry.
The third story finds Worm struggling to finish a poem. Readers will recognize the elusive last rhyme and be delighted by her heartfelt solution that tells the truth although it neither rhymes, nor makes sense.
In The Big Mess and Other Stories, Worm happily engages in spring cleaning and is surprised to see Earl filling his yard with a mess of stuff he’s decluttering. Worm is happy to help fill bags with trash, but is appalled when she opens a box of discarded books. “We never throw out books!” (See chapter 27 of The Redeemed Reader: Cultivating a Child’s Discernment and Imagination Through Truth and Story.) Gradually, progress means that Worm sees value even in broken “good stuff,” and you can imagine the rest.
“The Lucky Penny” and “The Sunrise” reinforce their developing friendship. Pizzoli’s cartoon characters are simple and expressive with a cheerful pastel palette.
Considerations: none
Bottom Line: These are great for young readers who are gaining confidence in their skills through early chapter books.
Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader
- Book Reviews: Other fun books by Greg Pizzoli include Number One Sam and The Watermelon Seed (not yet reviewed!).
- Book Review: Wagon Wheels is a historical fiction/based on a true story chapter book that may raise your easy reader game!
- Reflection: Flying Ponies and Dump Trucks: Janie looks at why so many easy readers feature ordinary, day-to-day concerns (as opposed to, say, flying ponies).
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