Earl & Worm #1: The Bad Idea and Other Stories

This sweet, giggle-inducing early reader kicks off a brand-new series featuring two unlikely friends in the tradition of Frog and Toad, from the beloved Geisel Award-winning author of The Watermelon Seed.

A SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Earl and Worm have been friends for a very, very long time, but their friendship had a rocky start. Earl is a happy go-lucky bird who plays saxophone to his plants because they love music in the morning. His neighbor Worm, on the other hand...well, Worm is the exact opposite. She would rather read in silence.

How will these very different neighbors become the very best of friends? With some sweet lemonade, the right shade of paint, an unfinished poem, and, most of all, sharing a little bit about themselves.

Award-winning creator Greg Pizzoli delivers three funny and heartwarming stories that will delight fans of other iconic duos like Elephant and Piggie or Pizza and Taco.★ "New readers are about to start a long and wonderful friendship with this impeccable new series." —School Library Journal, starred review

"A winsome tale that charts the ups and downs of friendship with aplomb." —Kirkus Reviews

"This look at a warming relationship dynamic considers ways that proximate opposites can not only coexist but learn from each other." —Publishers Weekly

"[A] supportive early chapter book, with a clear structure, direct sentences, breezy dialogue, and nice amount of repetition." —The Bulletin

"The sweet stories, the first in a series, capture the complexities and humor of navigating a close friendship....sure to engage early readers who value visuals along with their stories. An endearing pair with plenty to share about friendship and fun." —Booklist

"The art is a friendly and sophisticated blend of Roy Lichtenstein meets Richard Scarry....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." —The Horn BookGreg Pizzoli is the creator of the Baloney and Friends graphic novel series, as well as the author and illustrator of the award-winning picture books The Watermelon Seed, Good Night Owl, and The Book Hog. He also writes nonfiction for kids, including the New York Times Best Illustrated title Tricky Vic, and he is the illustrator of the Jack series by Mac Barnett. Greg Pizzoli works in a studio he shares with his wife, Kay Healy, who is a printmaker and fiber artist. They live in South Philadelphia with their two daughters, dog, and cats.