WORMY WORMS (Thingy Things)

As Wormy Worm wiggles and woggles, it is hard to tell which end is front and which end is back.

PreSchool-K-Moosey Moose (he actually looks more like a bull) is having a tantrum because he wants his long pants. Sluggy Slug just won't go, and Whaley Whale hides under an upholstered chair. Wormy Worm "wiggles and woggles" to such a degree that it's difficult to see "Which end is front" and "Which end is back." Using muted shades of earth-tone colors, Raschka fills in his thick black-line drawings with broad brush strokes. On the back covers the publisher states, "The THINGY THINGS series teaches young children to read using simple sounds paired with easy word repetitions." Unfortunately, the illustrations don't always support the text. For example, one spread features a picture of stubborn Moosey Moose opposite the words: "His long pants." Readers will need some decoding skills or an excellent sight vocabulary to be able to read them. While the format is just right for little hands and the sometimes whimsical illustrations are not completely without child appeal, these titles lack the staying power of Raschka's earlier work.
Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools
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