A Bird and His Worm

This is a cheerful book about eccentricity--a bird that prefers walking to flying--friendship (of the inter-species kind) and trust. Kaczman's drawings are droll but sweet. Young readers will be captured by the seeming innocence of the artwork; older readers will take pleasure in Kaczman's clever craftsmanship. (My favorite is a picture of the bird flattening himself out to fit on the page as he hitches a ride on the back of a snake.) In the end, unconventionality wins. Not a bad message in a charmingly unconventional picture book.

I immediately fell in love with this book. This is Kaczman's second book and unlike most sophomore releases, this one achieves a certain "escape velocity" that leaves most others in that genre, far behind. This book is the children's version of "Easy Rider". Two unlikely characters paired up and ready for adventure in search of something more. This book is fun for both adults as well as children. One of the great things about his books is that you can spot something new with each read. The story is great and the illustrations are lush and beautiful. This is a great addition to any children's library or your own coffee table!