Night of the Living Worms

July 27, 2015
Avian puns and scatological humor drive this first title in an illustrated chapter book series from cartoonist Coverly (Dogs Are People, Too). Scraggly b&w illustrations help introduce Speed Bump, a stumpy, late-rising bird who can never beat his older brother, Early Bird, to the worm. Coverly establishes an irreverent tone from the outset, when Speed Bump is awakened by a “little bird tweeting” (on its smartphone). After Speed Bump and his id-driven friend Slingshot discover that vicious worms are conspiring against Early Bird, the small bird gets a chance to be the hero. The jokes and birdy banter come fast and furious (“They hatched plans, but got eggsasperated because they knew none of them would work.... All of their ideas to stop the Nightcrawlers were as terrible as their puns”), and should keep readers flying through the pages. Ages 7–10. Agent: Melissa Chinchillo, Fletcher & Company.

July 1, 2015
Early Bird's underachieving little brother finally gets a taste of worm in this daft series opener. Too proud to accept any worm he hasn't caught or at least earned himself but unable, despite repeated efforts, to beat his annoyingly zippy sibling out of the nest in the morning, Tweety Pie-look-alike Speed Bump (related only in name to the author's syndicated cartoon) at last nerves himself to take a scary pre-dawn stroll-and comes upon a veritable convention of angry Nightcrawlers setting a trap for Early. Coverly sets up and presents the outing in a mix of prose and pen-and-ink sketches, with the pictures tending to shoulder out the text. Both, however, are liberally festooned with gags, sight gags, potty humor, and puns: "They hatched plans, but got eggsasperated because they knew none of them would work, and this was no yolking matter." Speed Bump is assisted by avian sidekick Slingshot, who is first met gleefully shooting an unwary squirrel in the "derriere" with a berry. He also enlists unlikely new buds Soda Pop the mouse and Hoover the owl to help spring the trap (prematurely). Unfortunately, his squirmy reward leaves him scurrying off in search of vegetarian fare ("CHEESABLE MERCY! WORMS ARE DISGUSTING!") and further misadventures. It's a little labored, but poop jokes never get old, right? (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 7-9)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2015

Gr 1-3-This first chapter book series from Coverly, an internationally syndicated cartoonist whose "Speed Bump" cartoons appear in more than 400 newspapers, and the winner of the prestigious Reuben Award for Best Cartoonist, focuses on the travails of a bird named Speed Bump. Speed Bump's brother is the illustrious Early Bird, the one who always gets the worm. This isn't Speed Bump's only problem. He has a hard time waking up, his wings are tiny, his tail feathers are short, and his head is larger than his body. Fortunately, he has a great friend, Slingshot, who knows how to brighten Speed Bump's days. Together they have a life-changing adventure deep in the nighttime forest. Filled with subtle irony, wordplay, and gentle pokes at life, the text is accompanied by appealingly large, cartoon-style, black-and-white line drawings. VERDICT This story will have students laughing out loud and reluctant readers asking for the sequel.-Paula Huddy, The Blake School-Highcroft Campus, Wayzata, MN

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2015
Grades 2-4 Coverly brings his popular syndicated cartoon, Speed Bump, into the realm of illustrated chapter books with this lively series opener. True to its roots, a cartoon sequence precedes the first chapter and sets the stage for comic misadventure. Being Early Bird's little brother is frustrating for young Speed Bump, whose tiny wings and habit of sleeping in make him unlikely to catch any worms at all. But when the night crawlers band together to fight back, Speed Bump and his friend Slingshot's slingshot save the day. Throughout, art dominates the page, and different typography is used for narrative text and speech bubbles. Coverly's drawings are full of visual jokes, and the narrative is packed with playful language: one entire chapter, Hatching a Plan, is chock-full of bird-related puns, and Slingshot practices his Frenchthese words are quickly translatedin hopes of impressing a hen he met in New Orleans. Clever, imaginative, and precisely targeted to its audience (there's even a poop joke), this new series is sure to please.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2016
Bird Speed Bump longs to be smarter and faster like his brother, Early Bird (he always gets the worm), until he and pal Slingshot manage to foil an evil plot against Early Bird. This graphic novel/chapter book hybrid explores themes of loyalty, fear, and self-confidence. With plenty of avian gags, the overall vibe is silly; the slapstick illustrations reward careful observation.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)