Superworm

Silly and slimy—superfun!

Told in well-scanning, rhyming couplets, this tale of friends helping friends is a joy to read aloud and will be welcomed by children in group or one-on-one sharing. 

The winning team behind The Gruffalo and other books casts a pink, squiggly worm as a superhero, then introduces a dastardly villain, Wizard Lizard, who captures Superworm for his own nefarious purposes. Since Superworm always uses his superpowers to help animals when they're in trouble ("Help! Disaster! Baby toad/ Has hopped onto a major road"), his neighbors conspire eagerly to free him, sneaking toward the villain's lair to rescue him ("They jump and fly and crawl and creep.../ and find the lizard fast asleep"). Scheffler's menagerie of insects and amphibians sport delightfully dorky, wide-eyed looks of terror when things go wrong and evident satisfaction when Wizard Lizard's magic spell is broken and Superworm is back among them. Donaldson's seamless verse has the gratifying, thumping predictability of nursery rhymes ("We must help him if we can./ We must hatch a cunning plan!"), and the action hurtles along nonstop. The fact that the hero is a creature that is usually thought of as frail and helpless carries an implicit message of its own. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 3--The team behind The Gruffalo (Dial, 2005) returns with a slightly slimy superhero who will (literally) worm his way into your heart. It's Superworm! He rescues toads and beetles from peril and young bees from boredom. The insects clap and cheer for their very own invertebrate champion, inciting the ire of the Wizard Lizard and his henchman crow, who kidnap Superworm for their own sinister devices. The toads, slugs, earwigs, and other bugs band together to rescue the hero, with a cunning plan to wrap the villain in honey and spiderwebs and relegate him to the rubbish heap (the slugs help by eating the wizard's flower wand). All is right with the world as Superworm returns to act as swing, slide, and hula hoop for his adoring fans. The illustrations are charming and detailed (look for a gruffalo in the garbage dump), with earwigs and beetles managing to look entomologically accurate as well as cute and cuddly. The story line and rhyme are not as engaging as in Room on the Broom (Dial, 2001), but young insect lovers and fans of Doreen Cronin's Diary of a Worm (HarperCollins, 2003) and other buggy tales will be thoroughly entertained.--Martha Link Yesowitch, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for A GOLD STAR FOR ZOG

A NEW YORK TIMES Notable Children's Book of 2012

"Donaldson, the current children's laureate in Britain, is a master of witty comic rhyme and original stories with heart. Here she and Scheffler outdo themselves with the smart, funny — dare I say, deep? — story of a dragon in training, a princess who wants to be a doctor and a knight who could use a bit of rescuing. The book gets a gold star too." — NEW YORK TIMES

"A delightful new twist on happily-ever-after." — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

Praise for TABBY MCTAT, THE MUSICAL CAT

"A surprising and fun read.... [Scheffler's] bright-eyed, warmhearted characterizations make this a wonderful testimony to the ties that bind." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"The team behind ROOM ON THE BROOM pair up again in what has become a near-annual ritual of picture book perfection.... Impeccable rhythm and rhyme distinguish this particular tale, filled, as always, with Donaldson's exemplary humor and heart." — NEW YORK TIMES

"A fun frolic about musical duos who aren't quite the same without each other. Like their trademark tune, it all ends 'PURRRR-fectly'." — BOOKLIST

Praise for STICK MAN

* "Donaldson and Scheffler's poignant, suspenseful profile of an inanimate object recalls Laurie Keller or THE VELVETINE RABBIT. Donaldson's rhymes never skip a beat, and Scheffler personalizes the many animals, people and settings in his witty watercolors. This yarn could become a December perennial." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review

* "Scheffler's engaging illustrations, Donaldson's irresistible rhyming text and repeated refrains make this a winning read-aloud that will stick around long after the holiday season." — KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review