The Very Impatient Caterpillar (A Very Impatient Caterpillar Book)

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.

Praise for The Very Impatient Caterpillar, by Ross Burach:

* "Chunky characters, livid green and thickly outlined for easy group sharing, and speech-bubble dialogue make this a good choice for read aloud[s] with a histrionic bent... There's definitely some science lurking here among the laughs, and preschool and primary classrooms can jumpstart the life cycle units with this super-charged title." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

"Will delight fans of Mo Willems's "Pigeon" series... absolutely charming." —School Library Journal

"Burach chronicles this miracle of nature in cartoon scenes as loud as the rapid patter... It won't be just adults chuckling at the interactions between the title character and its patiently pupating companions." —Kirkus Reviews

"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... a good choice for science edutainment." —Booklist

Praise for Truck Full of Ducks, by Ross Burach:

"Burach will have readers quacking up, both with the frequent repetition of the title — 'Did you call for a truck full of ducks?' is a funny line no matter how often it's read or heard — and over the illustrations... Sight gags and side comments in the pictures add further yuks to this ducky delight." — Booklist

"Children will delight in the extreme silliness of this story and will repeatedly pore over the detailed, colorful, and quirky illustrations." — School Library Journal

"Burach tells his story entirely through dialogue, packing it — and his exuberant, crayon-like digital illustrations — with visual jokes [and] an abundance of funny details to discover in each scene." — Publishers Weekly

"Silly details decorate every spread... Storytime audiences will quack up." — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Billy Bloo Is Stuck in Goo, illustrated by Ross Burach:

2018 CBC Children's Choice Book Awards Finalist

"Begs to be read aloud... Gleeful, errant nonsense." — Kirkus Reviews

"Plenty to linger (and laugh) over." — Publishers Weekly

"Lots of giggles and goo, and weird characters too, in this rhyming cumulative storytime read-aloud, make this title a must-have for picture book collections." — School Library Journal