The Racing Worm Brothers

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

Brothers Aaron and Ryan make pets of two worms that they name
“Pinky” and “Worm” and regard as brothers. They provide
tissue-paper beds for the worms and take them for rides on their
tricycles. They initiate a worm race and wait at the finish line. When
the worms fail to appear, the boys decide that they like to race
underground and will crawl under yards until they reach the finish line.
They draw a map for the worms to follow and move it along every day for
the rest of the summer. On the first day of school it’s raining and
they discover their worms in a puddle—perfect timing for show and
tell.

This is a nice little story for children. It has something of a message
in that it stresses the necessity of providing good homes and loving
care for all pets and also develops the theme of demonstrating kindness
toward animals. The boys handle their worm pets very gently. They
provide places for the worms to “rest” along the course of the
raceway. Children will enjoy the punch line: the startled reaction of
the teachers to worms as show-and-tell material. The bright and cheerful
pictures feature lots of detail, while the map is rendered convincingly,
reflecting the way small boys would be expected to draw.

This cute story is recommended reading for those rainy days when there
are lots of worms in evidence!