The Very Impatient Caterpillar

February 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-When an inquisitive caterpillar sees a bunch of his friends climb up a tree, he questions their unusual behavior. They explain that it is time to "metamorphosize." Using dialogue, Burach concisely walks readers through the metamorphosis process, following a repeating question and answer formula. At each stage, the clueless caterpillar asks the others what is going on, pretends to have known all along with a "Right. Right," and then proceeds to demonstrate a total lack of patience. Unsurprisingly, his first attempt ends in failure, thus causing the impetus for an inner change, which brings about the outer one. Burach's dialogue is spot-on, and if told by an expressive storyteller, should produce a lot of laughter. His style will delight fans of Mo Willems's "Pigeon" series. Thanks to the humorous designs and the bold exclamatory text, the book would make an excellent candidate for read-alouds. VERDICT An absolutely charming and educational tale about metamorphosis and patience that is ideal for school and library storytimes.-Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont.

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2018
Not every caterpillar gets the memo--or is, for that matter, temperamentally suited to spending two weeks immobilized in a chrysalis.Seeing everyone headed up a tree ("We're going to metamorphosize." "Meta-WHAT-now?") a clueless caterpillar hurries to follow. Despite the promise of a dazzling transformation, every step in the natural process, from spinning a chrysalis on, is an occasion for histrionic dismay ("It's STILL Day 1?" "This is taking FOR-EV-ER!"). Gradually, though, the pop-eyed pupa's kvetching quiets, the moans and groans turn to meditation ("Be one with the chrysalis"), and two weeks later: "I did it! I'm a BUTTERFLY!" Burach chronicles this miracle of nature in cartoon scenes as loud as the rapid patter, culminating in a migratory flight of butterflies and a final "ARE WE THERE YET?!" that hints at a character transformation that's perhaps less complete than the physical one. It won't be just adults chuckling at the interactions between the title character and its patiently pupating companions; all the characters speak in dialogue balloons, the protagonist's green with purple text to match its chrysalis.An object lesson in the value of patience as well as a droll introduction to meta-what-now. (Picture book. 5-7)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2019
Preschool-G The creator of Truck Full of Ducks (2018) offers another humorous picture book, this one addressing impatience. A googly-eyed, red-spotted green caterpillar is lounging with his friends when he learns of metamorphosis. Shocked and unprepared, he hurries frantically to catch up with the details of a process that his friends seem to understand intuitively. After a few missteps, he does manage to spin his own chrysalis, but even then his anxious questions continue, particularly when he learns that the pupae stage lasts two full weeks. Eventually he emerges as a butterfly, just in time to learn about migration. Burach's mixed-media digital artwork makes good use of the cartoon style to depict vibrantly colored caterpillars and the protagonist's overwrought emotions. Particularly humorous are the spot drawings showing the inside of the chrysalis, in which he rails against the measured pace of nature. The story is revealed entirely in speech balloons, color coded to distinguish speakers. This makes a good choice for science edutainment fans, especially devotees of Elise Gravel's Disgusting Critters series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2019
"What are you guys doing?" a caterpillar asks its fellow creatures. The reply: "We're going to metamorphosize." "Meta-WHAT-now?" The caterpillar's cluelessness prevails throughout this amusing Mo Willemsflavored tale of transformation ("'Am I a butterfly yet?' / 'No.' / 'How about now?' / 'No'"). Cartoon-style art shows the goggle-eyed caterpillar behaving wonderfully badly (e.g., it orders takeout from its chrysalis).

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)