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Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends

Ready-to-Read Graphics Level 1

Illustrated by Kaz Windness
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About The Book

A Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Graphic Novel & Comic
A New York Public Library Best Book
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book


This heartwarming and affirming Level 1 Ready-to-Read Graphics book celebrates the beauty of true friendship!

Worm and Caterpillar are friends—best friends. Worm loves how they are just alike, but Caterpillar has a feeling there is a big change coming. Then Caterpillar disappears for a while and comes back as Butterfly. Will Butterfly and Worm still be friends?

Ready-to-Read Graphics books give readers the perfect introduction to the graphic novel format with easy-to-follow panels, speech bubbles with accessible vocabulary, and sequential storytelling that is spot-on for beginning readers. There’s even a how-to guide for reading graphic novels at the beginning of each book.

About The Author

Photo courtesy of the author

Kaz Windness is the author-illustrator of picture books Swim, Jim! and Bitsy Bat, School Star, which received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, and BookPage. She created the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Level 1 Ready-to-Read Graphics book Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends, which received a starred review and is a Junior Library Guild selection, and the Level 1 Ready-to-Reads Cat vs. Vac and Go! Go! Dino!. Kaz is also the illustrator of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea by Andrew Hacket and the author of When You Love a Book, illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee. When she’s not writing or illustrating books, Kaz teaches illustration at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design and enjoys making deep-dish pizza. Kaz lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, two children, and Boston terrier. Visit her at WindnessBooks.com.

About The Illustrator

Photo courtesy of the author

Kaz Windness is the author-illustrator of picture books Swim, Jim! and Bitsy Bat, School Star, which received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, and BookPage. She created the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Level 1 Ready-to-Read Graphics book Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends, which received a starred review and is a Junior Library Guild selection, and the Level 1 Ready-to-Reads Cat vs. Vac and Go! Go! Dino!. Kaz is also the illustrator of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea by Andrew Hacket and the author of When You Love a Book, illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee. When she’s not writing or illustrating books, Kaz teaches illustration at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design and enjoys making deep-dish pizza. Kaz lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, two children, and Boston terrier. Visit her at WindnessBooks.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon Spotlight (January 31, 2023)
  • Length: 64 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781665920018
  • Ages: 4 - 6

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Raves and Reviews

"Worm learns along with readers that love is not a surface-level emotion and that true connections bind us deeply to each other. The art is joyful, colorful, and expressive, with emotions reading perfectly on the cartoon insect faces. Overall, it’s a appealing read with a message of acceptance that caregivers will be able to easily apply to real life.

Warm and delightful, this tale will stay with readers long after they turn the last page."

– Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW, 11/01/2022

Awards and Honors

  • Kansas NEA Reading Circle List PrimaryTitle
  • Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best
  • New York Public Library Best Books for Kids
  • ALA Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book
  • Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids List
  • ALA/ALSC Notable Children's Book
  • ALA Round Table Best Graphic Novels for Children
  • Kirkus Best Middle Grade Books of the Year

Resources and Downloads

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More books from this author: Kaz Windness

More books in this series: Ready-to-Read Graphics