Caterpillar, Caterpillar (Read and Wonder Series)

by Vivian French, Charlotte Voake (Illustrator)

Overview

"The text does an excellent job of describing the metamorphosis of a swallowtail butterfly, and the closeup, vibrant drawings of each developmental stage are outstanding." — School Library Journal

The best way to learn about a caterpillar is to watch one close up. With love and care, a grandfather shows his granddaughter the tiny dome-shaped eggs, explains how caterpillars shed their skins as they grow bigger and bigger, and watches with her as one special caterpillar emerges from its pupa transformed into a beautiful butterfly.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763642631
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/24/2009
Series:	Read and Wonder
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 3-The familiar story of a child's awakening to the miracles of nature is convincingly told here. A little girl wonders why her grandfather doesn't uproot the stinging nettles in his garden. After he explains the weeds' importance to certain types of butterflies, he locates some of their eggs on the leaves and encourages her to watch what happens. The child patiently observes each stage of the insects' development, learning in the meantime about the characteristics and habits of various species. Finally, to her delight, she witnesses the emergence of a peacock butterfly from its chrysalis. The text clearly describes the insects' life cycle and competently conveys the warm relationship between the girl and her grandfather. Voake's pen-and-watercolor illustrations, however, are disappointingly drab. The nettles, dominant throughout, are rendered in pale olive green; the caterpillars, most of which are depicted from a distance, look more like prickly twigs than insects; and the characters, drawn with minimal facial features, are flat and unappealing. Additional information is provided in extended captions underneath the drawings, but the print is arranged in a series of curving lines and is hard to read. Joanne Ryder's Where Butterflies Grow (Lodestar, 1989) is a better choice for young readers; its text does an excellent job of describing the metamorphosis of a swallowtail butterfly, and the closeup, vibrant drawings of each developmental stage are outstanding.-Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library

School Library Journal