If I Were A Caterpillar


Written by Richard Rensberry
Illustrated by Mary Rensberry
Published in 2017

Why we chose this book:
This is the final of three books shared with us for review by the author. T enjoys rhymes (like the others, this is a rhyming book) and is interested in bugs, so we were happy to read a caterpillar book.

Mom's Review

A narrator imagines a caterpillar's life and its transformation to a butterfly.

Told in rhyme, most of the life cycle of a butterfly is narrated. I have become so accustomed to seeing green caterpillars in T's books that the illustrations of a yellow and black caterpillar were a welcome change. The caterpillar inches along, eating caterpillar-appropriate food (no salami or chocolate cake here!) before entering the chrysalis stage and later emerging as a butterfly. Although this caterpillar is attributed thoughts and feelings, its actions are distinctly caterpillar. T is excited to look for caterpillars outside; he said he'd catch them, and we have plans to get some insect catching supplies as soon as the weather warms up. When it does, this will be a good read in conjunction with our hunt.

Son's Review
(age 3 years)

After reading:
T gets his toy butterfly and holds it up to the butterfly at the end of the story.
Mom: Did you just match your butterfly to the one in the story?

Son: Yeah!

Mom: Did you like this book? What did you like?

Son: Yeah. I liked that it had caterpillars in it 'cuz I like caterpillars 'cuz I see them in the desert.
(He does? What desert? Is this in another book?)

Mom: Have you read any other books about caterpillars?

Son, runs to bookshelf: This one - The Very Hungry Caterpillar!
(That caterpillar doesn't live in a desert. I'm still confused.)

Mom: How are they similar and different?

Son: This one's big and this one's little.

Mom: Will you find your favorite page in [If I Were A Caterpillar]?

Son: This one! (points to page with "breezes come to tickle" phrase)

Mom: What's most important to know about this book?

Son: It was a caterpillar book.


Update: I think I have figured out the desert connection! I have been puzzling a while (I drafted the rest of this post some time ago), and I think he is thinking of a centipede. We have a desert pop-up book and there is a centipede in it. Looks like a caterpillar. I'll have to ask T when he's up in the morning!







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