Review by Booklist Review
Welcome to the world of Earl and Worm! Worm lives a content, if slightly grumpy, life in her cozy apple home until Earl the bird moves into the tree next door. His chatty cheerfulness and love of music rub quiet Worm the wrong way, but the generous and gregarious Earl wears down Worm's formidable defenses. Though they don't agree on much, they do agree that they don't like being alone, and the two settle into an affectionate friendship (please note their many vacation photos on the wall). Two more tales capture their delightful dynamic, including a copycatting conundrum and a perplexing poem. The sweet stories, the first in a series, capture the complexities and humor of navigating a close friendship, and though minor irritations abound, the two are always able to resolve their differences. Pizzoli's amusing artwork captures the playfulness perfectly, and Worm's sneaky smiles and Earl's earnest expressions are priceless and sure to engage early readers who value visuals along with their stories. An endearing pair with plenty to share about friendship and fun.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Via this three-story early reader, Pizzoli (Lucky Duck) chronicles an unexpected friendship growing between two new neighbors: extroverted saxophonist Earl, a white bird in a blue jacket, and book-loving introvert Worm, who lives in an apple-shaped abode. In the book's first story, breezy slice-of-life line drawings introduce Worm as peeved by Earl's bumptiousness, but Earl proves to be an attentive listener, and the two critters discover that they each dislike being alone. Tale two sees Worm seeking to discourage Earl's copycat behavior by saying that she plans to paint her home "orange, with green stripes and purple polka dots," and comeuppance arriving in the form of a surprise good deed. The third story finds Worm again fed up, this time with Earl's clumsy attempts to help her complete a poem--until she realizes that Earl's willingness to help makes him a good friend. This look at a warming relationship dynamic considers ways that proximate opposites can not only coexist but learn from each other. Ages 4--8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Pizzoli brings the trademark dry humor from his picture books and graphic novels to the early reader stage in this series debut. Earl and Worm are an odd couple in the tradition of Frog and Toad or Elephant and Piggie, and their progression from reluctant neighbors to best buddies is told with perfect comic pacing over the course of three stories. Young readers will relate to Worm's indignation when Earl copies her good ideas, and Earl's tireless optimism will charm audiences as it gradually endears him to Worm. Subtle halftone shading adds a touch of comic book style to the bold digital illustrations. Perceptive readers may notice visual nods to other favorite books, including Pizzoli's own Geisel Award winner The Watermelon Seed. Just as his picture books are a popular crossover choice for emerging readers, Pizzoli's first dedicated early reader is well suited to shared reading, and individual chapters could even be used in story hours and other group settings. It's sure to be a hit with a broad range of fans. VERDICT New readers are about to start a long and wonderful friendship with this impeccable new series.--Amy Reimann
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Review by Horn Book Review
In the first of three episodic chapters in this series debut, Worm is irritated by her new neighbor, Earl, a bird. "Why is he up so early? And why is he smiling like that?" Throughout the interactions that follow, language and design are pitched to children almost ready to leap into longer chapter books: multiple short sentences per page, everyday words, ample repetition, and a readable typeface. The art is a friendly and sophisticated blend of Roy Lichtenstein and Richard Scarry with pastel shades of blue, green, orange, and yellow. Pizzoli generates humor with straightforward sentences that make bold statements ("It was not sweet. It was bitter. So was Worm") and emphasize Earl's obliviousness ("I love to talk. I can talk for both of us. You can just listen"). Words appear in different contexts to keep repetition from feeling overly tedious. The words sugar, sweet, and lemon all appear in the first and third stories, for instance, but in the first story they're around Earl making lemonade, and in the third story, around Worm trying to write a poem. Like Willems's Elephant and Piggie and Lobel's Frog and Toad series, this provides solid reading practice in a package that kids and families will read for the love of story. Adrienne L. PettinelliMay/June 2025 p.95 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An odd-couple pair for new readers to befriend. Right out of the gate, Pizzoli tells readers that "Earl and Worm have been friends for a long, long time." Given that Earl is a bird and Worm is, well, a worm, this reassurance seems crucial, though Pizzoli's illustrations give the anthropomorphic creatures roughly equal physical statures. But it's not Worm's vulnerability as potential prey to Earl that initially makes them unlikely friends; instead, the narrative establishes Worm as grouchy, set in her ways, and unwelcoming of her new neighbor when he moves in next door. Granted, Earl is something of an early bird, making a racket in the morning, and that's just one reason that, try as he might, he can't seem to catch Worm in a good mood. Over the course of three gently humorous short stories, however, affable, patient Earl wins Worm over, and she comes to appreciate his friendship. Throughout, cartoon illustrations excel in conveying Earl's consistently charming disposition and Worm's grumpy, mischievous, and ultimately happy mood. She's the one who changes throughout the course of the tales, thanks to Earl's good-natured, persistent overtures and grace. A winsome tale that charts the ups and downs of friendship with aplomb.(Early reader. 5-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
