Worms Are A Yummy Snack: A Story of Patience, Anger, and Joy is a concept picture book for children, grades k-3, written by Dorsey Spencer, Jr. and illustrated by Ann Pomelova. Chase is beyond excited; he’s going on his first fishing trip with his dad. He even has his own fishing rod and tackle box which he bought with money earned from his lemonade stand. Finally, it’s very early in the morning, and Chase’s dad wakes him up. The two of them get into the car and begin their trip to the ocean. Once they’ve found the perfect spot, they unpack, and Chase’s dad pulls out the container of worms. He tells Chase that he’ll have to pull out a worm and put it on his hook, but Chase is not at all sure he’s ready to do that. The worms are disgusting and dirty, but he really wants to fish with his dad, and so, with Dad’s help, he gets a squirmy worm on his hook and casts it out into the water. But wait...where are the fish? Fishing really does take a lot of patience and appreciation for the beauty that surrounds the fisherman. Can Chase curb his impatience and anger enough to be a real fisherman like his dad?

Dorsey Spencer, Jr’s Worms Are A Yummy Snack is a marvelous coming of age story for children as Chase participates in a family ritual that means so much to him. We see him grow with each challenge he faces: first, hooking the worm; learning to relax, observe his surroundings and stay calm as he waits for his first fish; and then realizing the need to control his anger and disappointment when that first big fish gets away. Chase’s dad sets such a grand example with his own patience and understanding -- he was once in Chase’s footsteps, after all, and he guides his son beautifully on that first trip. Ann Pomelova’s bright and colorful illustrations work quite well with the text. I especially loved the facial expressions she gives Chase and his father. You can see and feel the tenderness, love, and pride Chase’s dad feels for his son. Worms Are A Yummy Snack: A Story of Patience, Anger, and Joy is highly recommended.

Worms Are A Yummy Snack: A Story of Patience, Anger, and Joy by Dorsey Spencer Jr. is an illustrated children’s story about a boy named Chase, who goes out with his father on his first fishing trip. Chase is more than excited since he’s been raising money on his own to pay for his own fishing equipment. Once on the road, Chase acts like a typical excited kid, and simply cannot wait to get things started. There are a few bumps along the way, but the day turns out successfully and Chase is better for it.

I found the artwork colorful, detailed, and professional. The pictures will definitely appeal to young readers. The story itself is packed with all sorts of life lessons, but not in a preachy way. Rather, they are carefully embedded into each page. This is what the book advertises: “The book positively discusses themes of patience, expression, and management of emotions, resilience, and perseverance,” but I think it goes even beyond these things. Right from the start, we see Chase learning how to finance his trip by setting up his business. Through his thriftiness, he is learning to be self-sufficient, even at an early age. The father shows a lot of patience and love throughout the day, providing the care and support Chase needs to learn so that one day he can be a good father to his children as well. And Chase, being a child who needs to learn about self-control and patience, does take those steps to help him be a better human being. In all, Worms Are A Yummy Snack by Dorsey Spencer Jr. is an outstanding and thoughtful story that will be loved by young and older readers alike. Highly recommended.