Fatapiller: An enchanting children’s story of survival & courage. Told in rhyme, filled with fabulous colour pictures with a positive, mindfulness theme.

by Shaun Bunting

Fatapiller likes eating leaves. He eats so many and he’s become so big that he falls from the highest branches of his tree, where all the yummiest leaves are. As he falls, he passes the sleeping Koala, the dangling Mrs. Spider and a puzzled young chick in his nest, before crashing into the soft mossy ground. But Fatapiller’s troubles have only just begun. As he lies helpless on his back, a greedy Gecko approaches, looking for an easy meal. Can Fatapiller find a way to avoid becoming a tasty treat for Gecko? He will need all his wits about him if he can find a way back to his safe home in the canopy. This enchanting children’s story is told in rhyme and filled with fabulous colour pictures. It will delight children and adults alike and is sure to become a bedtime favourite for your child too.

28 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 13, 2018

About the author

Shaun Bunting is an author and illustrator of children’s books who grew up on the island of Tasmania. He currently works as the Creative Director for a private company and has previously been the Art Director and Senior Graphic Designer for Parks & Wildlife Visitor Interpretation Unit and a Teacher of Interactive & Digital Multimedia. Shaun now lives in Perth, Western Australia, with his wife and two children.

Shaun has always enjoyed the creative side of life and his writing career is an extension of this, with three books all waiting to be released on an unsuspecting general public. Fatapiller, Fat Egg and Fat the Fierce are all aimed at the children’s literature market, but he wouldn’t be surprised to hear of a few adults reading them as well.

In his spare time Shaun sings and writes his own songs, having released 4 original CDs of his music. He has been drawing cartoons almost daily since he was a child and coaches his sons’ sports teams. He is an avid AFL supporter and attends live games as well as watching it on TV.
Never one to shy away from the limelight, Shaun claims to have won the prestigious 47th International Spontaneous Public Transport Interpretive Dance Award in 2017. However, he was disqualified when it was discovered that a wasp had flown down his shirt front.

Reviews

[Andrex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Fatapiller who lives on a red island in a big tree. What's his favorite food? Why, leaves of course! Uh oh! One day a strong wind comes and Fatapiller falls out of the tree. Who does he pass on his way down? More importantly who does he meet at the bottom and what does his "rescuer" want? How does Fatapiller trick him?

What struck me first, when opening this book, were the absolutely gorgeous, vivid illustrations and the punctuation! SO SO refreshing to read a children's book that is punctuated correctly! I have to admit though that I did find one error:
"I'm here!" Said a voice. (Said should be 'said'.)

With that out of the way, this is one of the BEST children's books I have read in a LONG time. The rhyme flows REALLY well so it is an easy read. The illustrations capture a child's (and mine) attention. Absolutely love it! Yes, I was provided a copy by the author but no, that has not influenced my review. I only give credit where credit is due and this book deserves the 5 stars I have awarded it. Thanks, Liz

[Mehak Asif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beginning to read novels at an early age can boost the imagination of children and naturally teaches them many moral values that come rather difficult to them. And this book is excellent for this purpose. The book is perfect for kids, with an easy-to-understand language. The cover is attractive and the truely gorgeous illustrations, inside the book, have also been done colourfully to make the young readers glued to the book. The book is very engaging and full of rhymes. The story is quite simple, but is enough to motivate a kid to overcome every obstacle, just as the Fatapiller did.

I would surely recommend this book for young readers!

[Jeannette Watt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Fatapiller. It is an adorable children's story. Full of flowing poetry, Fatapiller is beautifully illustrated. Very engaging. A story with a sound plot and a definite sense of victory over life's obstacles and trials. Geared toward smallish children (although this middle-aged kid loved it, as well), it keeps their eyes glued, hearts pounding, wondering what will happen next. I cannot wait to read it to my tiny human!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really loved the illustrations in this one, they were beautifully done. The story was simple and great to read.

(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the Author. Does not affect my review)

[Lilith Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fatapiller falls out of his tree onto his back because of this wind. He is stuck until a gecko comes to his rescue. However, the gecko has other plans.

While deciding on how to eat the caterpillar, he tricks the Gecko into feeding him more so he will be fat enough to feed both this wife and family.

The gecko, which is really single, goes along with it for one juicy meal. However, in the end it is the Fatapiller who comes out on top.

After reading this book, I have to say it can be cute but it can also be mocking. If you are to purchase this book, take these two notes with caution.

1. If you will be reading this book and commenting about nature this book is amazing. This book can lead to discussions about caterpillars, what geckos eat, and more.

2. If you are looking for a simple read, or have a group of children who tend to mock one another, this book can be taken the wrong way.

My overall opinion is you know your family, your students, and your learners. If you choose to read this book to them, it can offer a lot. However, if you have a group of learners who tend to mock, this might not be the right choice.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine and were in no way influenced by outside sources. I am a professional blogger at Little Lady Plays

[TheConsultingWriter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book features bright and colorful artwork, sure to keep the attention of little ones. The rhymes are easy enough for sleepy parents that most likely will be reading late at night or in the wee hours of the morning. Some reviewers don’t care for the theme of this book, believe it’s stating that the character can eat his (or her) way out of a problem. I suppose weight is a sensitive topic. But is that really the intent of the author? I don’t get that impression. Instead, I see a sly caterpillar that’s good at thinking on the spot, even in the middle of trouble. Putting off the gecko’s plans to eat him. Some books write caterpillars as having no clue about the coming metamorphosis. But in this story, Fatapiller knew exactly what he was doing and what was going to happen. This story was released on December 13, 2018, and is available on Kindle. I received a copy of Fatapillar from the author. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Lora Shouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great illustrations. I especially liked the great tree and the Fatafly.

Fatapiller has been living the life in the top of an enormous tree on an island eating the best leaves when one day the wind suddenly blows him out of the tree. He lands on the ground, stuck upside down, and can’t get back up. A gecko finds him and starts to look upon him as a meal.

But Fatapiller suggests that he is not big enough for the Gecko and his wife both, and the greedy Gecko, who actually has no family, agrees, thinking that if Fatapiller grows even bigger, he will be that much bigger a meal. So he helps Fatapiller back to the top of the tree.

Eventually, the gecko grows bored waiting for Fatapiller to finish eating and falls asleep. When he wakes, he is in for quite a surprise.

I received a free copy of this book from the author for review.

[Catriona Lovett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really Funny!

My grandson got a kick out of the humor in this story. The "Fatapiller" is pretty clever, and the illustrations made us both laugh