We Dig Worms!

McCloskey comes not to bury worms (they can handle that themselves) but to praise them in a guide to annelids that manages to be reverent in its irreverence. Painting on brown paper bags, McCloskey offers a crash course on worm physiology, habits, and environmental impact, focusing on garden-variety earthworms. “When worms dig, twisting and turning, they make the earth... earthier,” he writes in a four-panel sequence as a pink worm dips and turns on its way underground. A group of children asks questions on behalf of readers (“Mr Worm? Why do you come out after the rain?”), and the presence of a bluebird—is it hungry or just friendly?—offers a fun hint of tension. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)