ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
EASY READERS
Windness, Kaz

Squid in Pants

32 pp. | Simon Spotlight | May, 2025 | Trade ISBN 9781665944304 $18.99 | Paper ISBN 9781665944298 $5.99 | Ebook ISBN 9781665944311 $5.99
(2) K-3 Ready-to-Read series. A squid and friends—a turtle, pufferfish, and crab—snag some clothes hanging off the side of a small boat in this kooky, distinctive book for early readers. The buoyant text relies on one-syllable words and a poetic use of rhythm, rhyme, and repetition in phrases and short sentences that have a Seussian cadence. "Four friends, one boat. Two socks, one coat." Pages awash in dappled shades of turquoise, aqua, peach, and raspberry reflect the playful mood as the wide-eyed ocean creatures try on clothes and bicker over who gets the flip-flops. Geisel honoree Windness (for Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends) seamlessly incorporates speech bubbles into the text, adding a layer of complexity and interest while also keeping the low-stakes plot sashaying along. When Squid gets upset, disaster strikes: "I inked!" The friends have just figured out how to work the ink stains into their evolving sense of style when along comes the kid from the boat: "Give my clothes back!" Negotiations ensue, a pair of underwear's early appearance pays off, and the sea creatures put on a parade. A coda with the kid sporting a marine-modified outfit ties the bow on this amusing offering.
Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

RELATED 

EASY READERS

Wildflowers
by Liniers,
EASY READERS

A Giant Mess
by Ebbeler, Jeffrey
EASY READERS

Fish and Sun
by Ruzzier, Sergio
EASY READERS

Tiny Tales
by Waldo, Steph
EASY READERS

Tag Team
by Raúl the Third,
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?