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The Very Impatient Caterpillar #1
The Very Impatient Caterpillar
HEY! What are you guys doing?
We're going to metamorphosize.
Meta-WHAT-now?
Transform into butterflies.
Right. Right. I knew that...
WAIT?! You're telling me I can become a BUTTERFLY?
Yes.
With wings?
Yes.
Wait for ME!!
Ross Burach's hilarious, tongue-in-cheek exploration of metamorphosis will make you flutter with glee, while also providing real facts about how caterpillars transform into butterflies.
We're going to metamorphosize.
Meta-WHAT-now?
Transform into butterflies.
Right. Right. I knew that...
WAIT?! You're telling me I can become a BUTTERFLY?
Yes.
With wings?
Yes.
Wait for ME!!
Ross Burach's hilarious, tongue-in-cheek exploration of metamorphosis will make you flutter with glee, while also providing real facts about how caterpillars transform into butterflies.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
71 people are currently reading
773 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 425 reviews
May 5, 2024
My wife got this for my son. We got it in the mail yesterday and I've already read it with him five or six times.
The titular caterpillar wants to become a butterfly but doesn't want to wait two weeks. As we all know, waiting any amount of time is torture for a toddler. My son is somewhat impatient lately but this purchase might also be a sideways jab at me from my wife since she thinks I'm impatient. I say she's a dawdler and needs to pick up the pace sometimes.
Anyway, my son is a few years ahead of most four year olds so the only words he had trouble with were 'metamorphosis' and 'chrysalis.' The art is cute and I guess the the moral of the story is patience pays off.
The titular caterpillar wants to become a butterfly but doesn't want to wait two weeks. As we all know, waiting any amount of time is torture for a toddler. My son is somewhat impatient lately but this purchase might also be a sideways jab at me from my wife since she thinks I'm impatient. I say she's a dawdler and needs to pick up the pace sometimes.
Anyway, my son is a few years ahead of most four year olds so the only words he had trouble with were 'metamorphosis' and 'chrysalis.' The art is cute and I guess the the moral of the story is patience pays off.
December 12, 2025
I’m allowed to put some nonsense in here now that I reached my goal for the year. This was awesome.
February 11, 2022
This was hilariously good! It’s probably one of the best children’s books I’ve seen! Love, love, loved! 💗
December 17, 2020
This book is amazing! My 4 year-old g'little LOVED this book. It has great illustrations and teaches about metamorphosis in a way that a child can understand and enjoy! The humor about the caterpillar's impatience is hilarious (& I can relate!) The tongue in cheek prose makes this book delightful for readers of any age. We have to read it MANY times over because it was so funny!
April 17, 2022
iste benim zeka seviyeme uygun olan o kitap
bayiliyorum deli keyif aliyorum bu kitaptan
bayiliyorum deli keyif aliyorum bu kitaptan
February 25, 2019
Ross Burach, the creator of such humorous picture-books as
Truck Full of Ducks
and
I Am Not a Chair!
, turns to the subject of metamorphosis in this newest title. Seeing many of his peers climbing a tree, the eponymous little caterpillar here wants to know what they are up to. Learning that they are about to transform into butterflies, he joins them, only to find that his impatience makes it hard for him to wait inside the chrysalis. Will he EVER manage to become a butterfly...?
With a title like The Very Impatient Caterpillar, it's hard not to believe that Ross Burach offering tribute, or at least referencing Eric Carle's classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar . That said, although the stories are similar in their general outline - a caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly by the end of the book - their general feeling, and their art styles, are quite different. This caterpillar is (as the title makes plain) quite impatient, and his constant questioning recalls the behavior of children, when looking forward to something, in ways that are quite amusing. The back and forth dialogue between the caterpillar and his fellows had me chuckling on more than one occasion, while the colorful artwork accentuated the humor. Recommended to Ross Burach fans, to anyone looking for a somewhat more offbeat, irreverent look at metamorphosis, than that found in the Carle book, and to those in the market for stories about youthful impatience.
With a title like The Very Impatient Caterpillar, it's hard not to believe that Ross Burach offering tribute, or at least referencing Eric Carle's classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar . That said, although the stories are similar in their general outline - a caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly by the end of the book - their general feeling, and their art styles, are quite different. This caterpillar is (as the title makes plain) quite impatient, and his constant questioning recalls the behavior of children, when looking forward to something, in ways that are quite amusing. The back and forth dialogue between the caterpillar and his fellows had me chuckling on more than one occasion, while the colorful artwork accentuated the humor. Recommended to Ross Burach fans, to anyone looking for a somewhat more offbeat, irreverent look at metamorphosis, than that found in the Carle book, and to those in the market for stories about youthful impatience.
March 21, 2019
A cute story that shows metamorphosis in a fun way. A great book for a patience, or waiting storytime. Would probably be better for a smaller group though.
March 17, 2019
I didn't know butterflies start out as caterpillars. I always wondered how caterpillars became butterflies. Did you know? I love learning new things! Do you? Have you ever wanted to migrate like a butterfly? That would be so much fun.
December 21, 2021
This book reminds me of every little kid. Instant gratification.
June 13, 2021
My daughter loved this one!
October 24, 2019
Perfect choice for classes doing butterfly units
May 28, 2021
Yup, you guessed it, this one's about a very impatient caterpillar.
With humor of the David Shannon or Laurie Keller ilk, this will be a sure hit during read-alouds with the 3-6 crowd. Those patient enough to sit still for story time.
With humor of the David Shannon or Laurie Keller ilk, this will be a sure hit during read-alouds with the 3-6 crowd. Those patient enough to sit still for story time.
October 12, 2022
A fun read-alike to The Very Hungry Caterpillar just because it deals with the same subject matter, and a caterpillar that doesn't know what he's doing. But definitely a different tone. This guy doesn't know how to be patient, and asks the same question over and over again. I wonder if we know anyone else like that?
February 28, 2022
Excellent, hilarious book about a caterpillar turning in to a butterfly...and (kinda) learning patience around the way.
The wide shot of the chrysalises and the squirrel is my favorite spread--very funny.
The wide shot of the chrysalises and the squirrel is my favorite spread--very funny.
May 26, 2019
I think we’ve read this book about 25 times over the past week. The boys love it! It’s pretty funny :)
April 24, 2019
See my full review here: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfic...
THE VERY IMPATIENT CATERPILLAR is a laugh-out-loud story that will charm parents and young children alike. The very impatient caterpillar notices all the other caterpillars going up a tree. When he inquires what they are doing, he finds out they are going to metamorphosize. As he engages the process, he can’t wait to become a butterfly, annoying the other caterpillars with his questions of whether he is done yet. Told in speech bubbles, this is a brightly colored book that discusses a concept familiar to children- impatience and the difficulty of waiting.
What I loved: This book not only teaches about patience. With a nice science background, this book also teaches children about the basic process of becoming a butterfly complete with names like metamorphosis and chrysalis, explaining them in simplified terms to the impatient caterpillar as well as young readers. Although this is secondary, it’s great to introduce some science in with the fun!
The constant questioning of the caterpillar is easily relatable to parents of young children and the children themselves. The caterpillar learns that he must just wait and declares that he has turned over a new leaf by the end of the book- but has he? The humor throughout will make both parents and little ones giggle. The vivid colors and cartoonish images will certainly appeal to the toddler and early elementary audience. With large, bold font, this is a great book for reading out loud.
Final verdict: This picture book is a delight for parents and young children who will enjoy reading about the caterpillar’s antics. With bright colors and easy to read font, this is a great choice for a cute read about patience, with the added bonus of a little science.
THE VERY IMPATIENT CATERPILLAR is a laugh-out-loud story that will charm parents and young children alike. The very impatient caterpillar notices all the other caterpillars going up a tree. When he inquires what they are doing, he finds out they are going to metamorphosize. As he engages the process, he can’t wait to become a butterfly, annoying the other caterpillars with his questions of whether he is done yet. Told in speech bubbles, this is a brightly colored book that discusses a concept familiar to children- impatience and the difficulty of waiting.
What I loved: This book not only teaches about patience. With a nice science background, this book also teaches children about the basic process of becoming a butterfly complete with names like metamorphosis and chrysalis, explaining them in simplified terms to the impatient caterpillar as well as young readers. Although this is secondary, it’s great to introduce some science in with the fun!
The constant questioning of the caterpillar is easily relatable to parents of young children and the children themselves. The caterpillar learns that he must just wait and declares that he has turned over a new leaf by the end of the book- but has he? The humor throughout will make both parents and little ones giggle. The vivid colors and cartoonish images will certainly appeal to the toddler and early elementary audience. With large, bold font, this is a great book for reading out loud.
Final verdict: This picture book is a delight for parents and young children who will enjoy reading about the caterpillar’s antics. With bright colors and easy to read font, this is a great choice for a cute read about patience, with the added bonus of a little science.
August 7, 2021
If you think waiting is hard, you've never been a caterpillar.
In this delightful spin-off of the Very Hungry Caterpillar, our tiny protagonist just wants to be a butterfly already.
Full of great wit, vigor and humor that is perfect for fans of the very popular Mo Willems, here is a fun laugh-out loud read to share the process of met-a-morph-osis as well as exercise in patience proving a better pay-off.
In this delightful spin-off of the Very Hungry Caterpillar, our tiny protagonist just wants to be a butterfly already.
Full of great wit, vigor and humor that is perfect for fans of the very popular Mo Willems, here is a fun laugh-out loud read to share the process of met-a-morph-osis as well as exercise in patience proving a better pay-off.
March 31, 2019
The Very Impatient Caterpillar was written by Ross Burach in 2019 published from Scholastic Inc. This 32-page hybrid text follows the metamorphosis of a very impatient caterpillar. This book is filled with humorous dialog between an immature caterpillar and an annoyed friend. The story takes up through the meaning of metamorphosis, the creation of a chrysalis and the required time of this phase. Not only is a physical journey of the caterpillar taking place, the caterpillar is learning how to be patient. This book can be a fun introductory resource for a science lesson about the life cycle of a butterfly or a lesson on the importance of being patient.
Evaluation: 5
Grade Level: Pre-K-3
Lexile Level: 420L
Guided Reading Level: H
Teaching Idea: Using this text, you could have students create a narrative about a time they had to be patient.
NYS CCS:
R.1.11: Make connections between self, text, and the world around them (text, media, social interaction).
Evaluation: 5
Grade Level: Pre-K-3
Lexile Level: 420L
Guided Reading Level: H
Teaching Idea: Using this text, you could have students create a narrative about a time they had to be patient.
NYS CCS:
R.1.11: Make connections between self, text, and the world around them (text, media, social interaction).
October 29, 2019
This had my kid in stitches. It's especially funny if you've read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but works on its own.
August 26, 2019
So precious!! As an anxious person and also one with no patience, this book spoke to me... even if it is a children's book. I loved it. Adorable.
October 13, 2019
A humorous little caterpillar is very impatient waiting for metamorphosis to happen. This will be a fun one to include in the insect study, or for students who are having a hard time being patient.
March 17, 2020
Amusing and relatable, while also being educational.
July 21, 2020
Alena and I really enjoyed this book. The story and illustrations are amusing. Patience is something I'm developing, so I relate. I'm a fan of Ross Burach.
July 28, 2020
Such a fun and silly book. Makes a great read aloud and the perfect way to introduce young children to the stages of a butterfly.
September 15, 2021
This got some sincere and hearty lols
October 5, 2021
My 5yo really enjoyed this one.
April 21, 2023
Hilarious and cute.
March 5, 2024
Weekly Monday evening story time!
I don't feel bad about adding this to my reading goal since there are severalll books that I don't add XD
I don't feel bad about adding this to my reading goal since there are severalll books that I don't add XD
June 30, 2025
Another okay picture book. It is basically a whole book of a character whining. It is a clever idea but not a clever execution. And the art is only okay.
November 1, 2022
I really enjoy this book. You can do several good voices with it. I've read it to 3rd grade classes and it was a hit. I think certain 3-4 year olds would find it hilarious as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 425 reviews