Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In the first of three episodic chapters in this series debut, Worm is irritated by her new neighbor, Earl, a bird. "Why is he up so early? And why is he smiling like that?" Throughout the interactions that follow, language and design are pitched to children almost ready to leap into longer chapter books: multiple short sentences per page, everyday words, ample repetition, and a readable typeface. The art is a friendly and sophisticated blend of Roy Lichtenstein and Richard Scarry with pastel shades of blue, green, orange, and yellow. Pizzoli generates humor with straightforward sentences that make bold statements ("It was not sweet. It was bitter. So was Worm") and emphasize Earl's obliviousness ("I love to talk. I can talk for both of us. You can just listen"). Words appear in different contexts to keep repetition from feeling overly tedious. The words sugar, sweet, and lemon all appear in the first and third stories, for instance, but in the first story they're around Earl making lemonade, and in the third story, around Worm trying to write a poem. Like Willems's Elephant and Piggie and Lobel's Frog and Toad series, this provides solid reading practice in a package that kids and families will read for the love of story. (c) Copyright 2025. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

An odd-couple pair for new readers to befriend. Right out of the gate, Pizzoli tells readers that “Earl and Worm have been friends for a long, long time.” Given that Earl is a bird and Worm is, well, a worm, this reassurance seems crucial, though Pizzoli’s illustrations give the anthropomorphic creatures roughly equal physical statures. But it’s not Worm’s vulnerability as potential prey to Earl that initially makes them unlikely friends; instead, the narrative establishes Worm as grouchy, set in her ways, and unwelcoming of her new neighbor when he moves in next door. Granted, Earl is something of an early bird, making a racket in the morning, and that’s just one reason that, try as he might, he can’t seem to catch Worm in a good mood. Over the course of three gently humorous short stories, however, affable, patient Earl wins Worm over, and she comes to appreciate his friendship. Throughout, cartoon illustrations excel in conveying Earl’s consistently charming disposition and Worm’s grumpy, mischievous, and ultimately happy mood. She’s the one who changes throughout the course of the tales, thanks to Earl’s good-natured, persistent overtures and grace. A winsome tale that charts the ups and downs of friendship with aplomb.(Early reader. 5-7) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.