Worms for Lunch?

In this entertaining primer about what animals like to eat, Gore's bright acrylic paintings are reminiscent of the artwork of Carle and Lionni in their simplicity, textures, and whimsical humor. So who likes to eat worms? "Not me!" says a mouse, and by turning a page die-cut in the shape of a leaf, readers reveal a wedge of cheese, as the mouse proclaims, "I like cheese! Yummy!" From there, Gore (The Wonderful Book) shows off the meals of choice for a cat, cow, yellow chick, and bee, among others, who engage in a sort of dialogue as the book progresses. "Seeds [the chick's favorite] are much too dry for me," says the bee, sipping nectar from a die-cut flower that was a cloud on the preceding spread. It's not until the end that readers learn that "[f]ish love wiggly, wiggly worms for lunch" (they are clearly fast food, seen wriggling off a purple fish's plate). "You can't eat me," one protests. "I'm a character in this book!" The clever and effective die-cuts will easily keep readers' interest—at least until lunchtime. Ages 3–6. (Mar.)