The Worm Family Has Its Picture Taken
by Jennifer Frank (Author) David Ezra Stein (Illustrator)
Worms don't take good family photos, do they? Find out in this hilarious picture book from a Caldecott Honor illustrator and debut author about a young worm who comes to appreciate her very unusual family for who they are.
Emma is excited for her worm family to have their portrait taken. But when she sees her other friends' portraits, she gets discouraged. "We had the most beautiful smiles," Ellie the Chipmunk squeals. Abigail the Cat meows, "I looked gorgeous with my big poufy hair." The worm family doesn't have teeth...how will they show their beautiful smiles? They don't have hair either...how can it look big and poufy?! So Emma gathers wigs, giant fake teeth, and colorful clothing for her parents and sisters.
But it's only after taking off their costumes that the worm family is able to wriggle and squiggle and squeeze into a delightful pose that only a worm family can make. And Emma? She thinks it's perfectly perfect.
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Kirkus
Sure to worm its way into readers’ hearts. (Picture book. 4-7)
Copyright 2021 Kirkus Reviews, Used with Permission.
Publishers Weekly
When her mother schedules a family photo portrait, Emma the worm is beset with anxiety: What could the camera possibly love about worms? They don't have big toothy grins like her rodent friend's family, or dazzling colors like the butterflies. Eager to save her family from what she's sure will be a big letdown, Emma insists they dress up in brightly colored clothes, fake lips and teeth, and wigs--a moment that Caldecott Honoree Stein's elegant ink lines and washes portray with a superb mixture of dubious acquiescence, humor, and mortification. Authenticity prevails at the behest of the photographer ("AHHHHHHHH" says the relieved family as they discard their uncomfortable costumes), and the worms "wriggled and squiggled and squeezed into a delightful pose only a worm family could make." Though the plot payoff feels abrupt, the story is otherwise a terrific pairing of new and veteran talent, as well as a gentle but firm nudge for any child who's felt the pang of familial embarrassment. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Jennifer Cohen, Jennifer Cohen Agency. Illustrator's agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (May)
Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV002000 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | General
