A classic Denise Fleming picture book, from the beautifully composed illustrations to a spare text that is never boring or predictable, looks at underground life in the natural world. Brown is understandably the predominant color in Fleming’s pulp-painting illustrations, but she deftly incorporates touches of vivid color to punctuate the underground scenes, or offers partial glimpses of the more vibrant aboveground world. The rhyming text is just a handful of words per page, describing what can be seen—and found—in the “squirm-ways and worm-ways” underground. A “Creature Identification” page spread at the back reiterates images from the illustrations, providing brief information about the creatures shown in this terrific choice for reading aloud or sharing one-on-one, not to mention for children to pore over on their own. Highly Commended, 2013 Charlotte Zolotow Award (Ages 3–7)