Snail and Worm: Three Stories About Two Friends

Two new friends—neither, let’s say, in danger of winning a MacArthur Genius Grant anytime soon—star in three cheerfully screwy stories from Kügler (In Mary’s Garden). In the first, Worm meets Snail while the gastropod is playing tag with a rock. “I win! I am fast. You are slow,” Snail taunts the immobile rock, its eyestalks almost seeming to cheer in delight. Snail scales a tall flower in the equally funny second story, reveling in the amazing views while ignoring that its weight has caused the flower to bend down to the ground. “Wow! They look like ants down there!” Snail raves, staring at actual ants. “Wow! I can see my house!” Snail adds, looking at the shell affixed to its body. The friends show off their pets in the third story—a dog Snail thinks is a spider and a spider believed to be a dog. Snail and Worm’s direct, simplified dialogue is perfect for beginning readers, and their unabashed dopiness—equally evident in their conversations and in Kügler’s mixed-media cartoons—delivers a steady stream of laughs. Ages 6–9. Agent: Teresa Kietlinski, Prospect Agency. (May)