Worms

Bored at a dinner party that his father is throwing for the senior executives at his factory, a boy with shaggy black hair, mismatched socks, and a suit to match his father’s makes mischief. John-Paul sneaks worms into the guests’ salads and, like a slightly deranged social scientist, observes how they react. Guillerey (Children Are Wicked) works in a decidedly retro aesthetic—the house’s kitchen wouldn’t be out of place in a vintage game of Clue, and the boy wheels the shrimp salads out to the diners on a serving cart. The guests’ reactions vary: John-Paul’s father “devoured his salad, and the worm, without even noticing,” Mrs. DeLuca discreetly flicks the offending annelid across the room, while the other gentlemen manage to scarf their worms down. “Oh the faces he made!” coos the young narrator. Friot’s (The Aspiring Poet’s Journal) story ends abruptly with a comeuppance (of sorts) for John-Paul, but given that the boy’s father intends for his son to inherit the factory, the executives may want to polish their résumés before their future boss gets any more ideas. Ages 4–7. (Sept.)