Wiggler’s Big Joke

PreS-Gr 3–After reading a joke book at the library, Wiggler the worm is ready to charm everyone with her new, hilarious set of knee-slappers. On her journey, Wiggler seems to have the perfect joke for every situation, responding to friends’ comments with witty comebacks. At first, everyone enjoys Wiggler’s one-liners, laughing along at the clever pun-filled riddles. But when Wiggler interrupts Roro the robot at work with more jokes, she distracts him so much that Roro gets hurt. Instead of showing concern, Wiggler makes another joke about the situation, driving Roro to anger. Disheartened, Wiggler reflects on why her friend didn’t laugh. When a group of puppies distracts Wiggler from her own thoughts, she grows frustrated—just like Roro had—finally seeing the situation from her friend’s perspective. Vandorn creates a vibrant world full of fun characters and silly scenes, which will appeal to young readers. The bright, cheerful cartoon-style art is charming, and the dialogue is engaging and relatable for a younger audience. The upbeat tone of this text coupled with its fun characterization and illustrations will draw a wide variety of readers, especially those who enjoy humor. An emphasis is placed on the importance of apologizing and owning up to one’s actions throughout this reflective text. This beginner-friendly graphic novel does a fantastic job of introducing young readers to paneling and dialogue bubbles, preparing them for more advanced sequential storytelling.