FISH AND WORM

An unappetizing lunch becomes an appetizing friend in this tale of an uncommon friendship between a fish and his intended meal.

Visual literacy and easy reading come together once more thanks to the magic of comics and sequential art. Little Fish doesn’t want to eat a slimy invertebrate for lunch when there’s cake to be had, but his mom is insistent. “First you eat your worm.” Disgruntled but willing, Fish is just about to take a bite when Worm pleads for her life. After a quick explanation that Worm is not tasty and will only give Fish a bellyache, the two play a game of tag before making their bodies into shapes. When Mom gets an inkling that Fish is playing with his food, she once more instructs him to eat Worm. But Fish stands firm, and, upon seeing that the two are friends, she relents, offering cake for all. After all, “it tastes better than a worm.” Other than the rare three-syllable word like suddenly, the bulk of the text is kept relatively simple for new readers. In Ruzzier’s customary watercolors, Worm doesn’t look yummy in the least (but she is rather adorable). Parents may balk at a book that encourages kids to talk their ways out of meals they don’t want to eat, but unless your broccoli engages you in conversation, the comparison is moot.

Reading comes easy when comics and sea critters come in fun packages.