FULL WORM MOON

Before the arrival of Europeans, an Algonquian family keeps a chilly vigil on a March night, hoping to see the first earthworms emerge from the thawing earth and dance in the moonlight (as legend has it) to the music of unseen drums. The Full Worm Moon signals spring's arrival and the time to begin preparing the soil for planting. Though it isn't clear whether the legend of the dancing worms recounted here is authentic, it would be interesting to group this with other seasonal myths and lore. Parker's atmospheric watercolors capture the play of firelight and shadow within a smoky wigwam, the progression from sunset to dusk to dark, and the sharp shadows and phosphorescent outlines of objects seen in brilliant moonlight, like wraiths of mist rising through frosty air. (Picture book. 5-9)