The Caterpillar and the Polliwog

We love "The Caterpillar and the Polliwog". It's just a wonderful (classic) tale that appeals to children and adults alike. We read it as part of our science unit on critters that start as one thing and become another. The book does a great job of bringing home the fact of metamorphosis. I think it even does a better than the science books because of the story. It was also the first play that we ever managed to pull off. Kids just seem to have a knack for remembering the lines of the bragging-sassy caterpillar and the silly polliwog; and it is easy to pretend to form a cocoon with a blanket. Five Stars. I love books that do double duty; and with the "Polliwog and the Caterpillar" get you get a great story and a science lesson.

I was introduced to this book at my grandmother's funeral. The pastor read the story of how the animals were going to change into something better, then she handed it to my 7 year-old son to look at during the rest of the service. I felt it was so worthwhile I purchased a copy for his school library. There are many lessons that can be drawn from this simple story.

This book does an excellent job of introducing young children to the basic facts of caterpillar and frog life cycles, how they are alike and how they are different. The anthropomorphic bent takes a little getting used to, but it's not a bad quality. Giving the animals in the story personalities makes the tale more engaging and adds another layer of interest. The story has a sense of humor that kids and adults will enjoy. The cartoon-like pictures are fun too. There's a nice subtle message to go along with it--some of us take a little more time to metamorphize than others, but we get there eventually!!

This is a really great story to read to your kids and to have your kids learn to read. It's not too short and not too long. It has both a moral lesson and a humor factor. Just as funny to adult readers as it is to the kids.