Ten Little Caterpillars

Starred review from May 30, 2011
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 taleâafter 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 2â6.

Starred review from July 15, 2011

Move over very hungry caterpillar—10 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 wait—there'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.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

August 1, 2011

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

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2011
Preschool-K 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)