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Summary
Summary
Ten little caterpillars are out and about in our big, wide world--come join them! You never know what you might find. . . . A butterfly, perhaps?
Readers of all ages have celebrated the work of Bill Martin Jr and Lois Ehlert ever since their first collaboration on Chicka Chicka Boom Boom more than twenty-five years ago. Now these two picture-book geniuses are together again in this dynamic and visually stunning counting-and-natural history picture book that's just perfect for reading aloud--and comes complete with a glossary filled with intriguing information about all of the caterpillar stars!
Author Notes
Children's writer Bill Martin, Jr. was born and raised in Hiawatha, Kansas. Ironically, the future early childhood educator had difficulty reading until he taught himself, before graduating with a teaching certificate from Emporia State University.
After graduation, he taught high school drama and journalism in Kansas. He served in the Army Air Force as a newspaper editor during World War II. He wrote his first book, The Little Squeegy Bug, for his brother, Bernard, an artist, to illustrate while recuperating from war wounds. It was published in 1945 and the brothers would go on to collaborate on 10 more books by 1955.
He earned a master's degree and doctorate in early childhood education from Northwestern University and became principal of an elementary school in Evanston, Ill., where he developed innovative reading programs. In 1962 Martin moved to New York City to become editor of the school division of Holt, Rhinehart and Winston where he developed the literature-based reading programs Sounds of Language and The Instant Readers.
Martin returned to full-time writing in 1972 and ended up writing over three hundred children's books during his career. His titles include; Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you Hear?, The Ghost-Eye Tree, Barn Dance, and Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom. He died on August 11, 2004 at the age of 88.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A selection in Bill Martin's Big Book of Poetry (S & S, 2008) is now available as a single title. In this attractive counting book with a scientific flair, 10 little caterpillars creep and crawl through gardens, vegetable patches, and apple orchards. Beginning with the first little caterpillar, who crawls into a bower, the colorful insects proceed by climbing up flower stems, sailing on fallen leaves, and avoiding predators like a hungry wren. The 10th little caterpillar hangs patiently in an apple tree until he emerges from the chrysalis as a magnificent tiger swallowtail. Each fuzzy little character represents a particular type of caterpillar. A supplementary guide to the different species, providing the name and diet of each one, along with an image of the resulting butterfly or moth, appears at the end of the book. The rhyming couplets are printed in a bold, oversize font. Ehlert's watercolor collages, presented in the style of botanical illustrations complete with identifying labels, eloquently re-create the natural habitat of each creature. Although reminiscent of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Philomel, 1969), this title is written for a slightly older audience. An imaginative introduction to ordinal numbers and the process of metamorphosis.-Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Originally issued in 1967 with different illustrations, Martin's caterpillar counting rhyme has been given new life with gorgeous and bold watercolor collages from his Chicka Chicka Boom Boom collaborator, Ehlert. Readers can't be blamed for seeing this as a companion to Eric Carle's classic caterpillar tale-after all, the characters share membership in the Lepidoptera order and a highly stylized, vibrantly handmade aesthetic. But the similarities end there. Martin's words shape 10 vignettes, inspiring Ehlert to survey the world of backyard nature (unobtrusive labels identify flora and fauna). What's more, the 10 caterpillars are no carbon copies: each is modeled on a different species (a handsome visual glossary details feeding habits and provides examples of the butterflies or moths they eventually become). But it's the frequently unsalubrious fates of the caterpillars that are most striking. One is imprisoned in a jar ("The sixth little caterpillar was carried off to school"), three are potential meals, and only one becomes a butterfly. This is a graphically sumptuously book, but the lesson is clear: nature is one tough town. Ages 2-6. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
The jacket of this counting book (with its white background, large green leaf, and brightly colored caterpillars) should come with a disclaimer: any resemblance to a well-known picture book about a particularly voracious caterpillar is purely coincidental. More a way to organize information than the traditional counting book the title indicates, Ehlert's (and it is the illustrations that give the book its scope) latest showcases ten members of the Lepidoptera order, mostly in lush settings that incorporate and label the flora and fauna of their habitats, whether they be a garden (with exquisite tissue-paper collage flowers) for caterpillar number two (a buckeye) or a glass jar filled with different leaves for the sixth caterpillar (a monarch). The tenth caterpillar (a tiger swallow tail) becomes a chrysalis before maturing into a beautiful butterfly, which begs the question about the fate of the other nine. The gentle rhyme ("The first little caterpillar crawled into a bower. / The second little caterpillar wriggled up a flower") provides quiet background for the vibrant illustrations. Back matter lists each species of caterpillar shown, gives its eating habits, and presents the developed butterfly or, in the case of the woolly bear caterpillar, moth. betty carter (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Move over very hungry caterpillar10 little caterpillars have arrived.Martin's posthumous release rests in illustrator Ehlert's capable hands, resulting in a picture book that delivers on his reputation as a master of engaging, rhythmic, rhyming text as it presents some of Ehlert's best work to date. Arresting jacket art introduces 10 little caterpillars munching on a verdant, heart-shaped leaf against a white background. Open, white backgrounds of interior spreads allow the collages' vibrant colors to stand out in clean, visually dynamic spreads that invite readers to pore over the flora, other creatures and the caterpillars themselves who populate the pages. Each caterpillar from the jacket gets its own spread, with one climbing a cabbage head, another carried off to school in a jar and another falling into the sea. The 10th caterpillar, however, becomes a butterfly in a satisfying, if predictable, culmination of the verse. But waitthere's more! Concluding pages identify each caterpillar in sequence, provide readers with information about what they eat and reveal the kinds of moths and butterflies that result from their metamorphoses.Equal parts counting book, nature book and ideal read-aloud fodder, this is a beauty of an offering from a familiar team. (Picture book. 2-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
From the accomplished creators of the classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) comes this captivating, rhyming offering for the lap-sit crowd. Here, Ehlert lends her signature watercolor-collage artwork to the late Martin's text, which was originally published in 1967. On each spread, a different caterpillar moves through a brilliantly hued garden scene filled with flora and fauna, which are identified in small print. Many images, such as monarchs and roses, will be familiar to kids, while others, such as cabbage looper moths and gaillardias, will likely expand their knowledge. The action, described in large print, is easy to imagine and will lend itself to lively read-alouds. The first little caterpillar crawled into a bower. / The second little caterpillar wriggled up a flower. Notes about the posthumous provenance of the text would have been welcome, but a final spread, featuring a countdown of each caterpillar and the butterfly it becomes, along with a few facts, creates a pleasing end to this beautiful title, which will be a natural hit with young children.--Medlar, Andre. Copyright 2010 Booklist
