Ten Little Caterpillars

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.)

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