Erucula: Fabula Metamorphosis: A Latin Novella

by Rachel Beth Cunning, Maria Sibylla Merian (Illustrator)

Ērū Fābula Metamorphōsis tells the tale of one little caterpillar's joy and pride with each new stage of its metamorphosis. After all, Erucula is easily the leader of all other caterpillars; it even wears a crown! As Erucula muses about its own life, it describes the lives of the other caterpillars that crawl about the forests of Surinam. Each caterpillar has its own chrysalis and becomes a unique butterfly or moth.This novella uses the vibrant vocabulary and images that Maria Sibylla Merian herself used to describe the lifecycle of insects in her book Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, which she published in 1705. It contains 186 vocabulary words, including 46 clear cognates, 17 glosses, and 5 proper nouns. This novella then requires a working vocabulary of 118 words.

33 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2021

Reviews

[Cécile de Rousiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Très plaisant à lire grâce aux illustrations de Maria Sibylla Merian, cet ouvrage est destiné aux lecteurs débutants. Il est utile pour le lexique de la description, mais les termes employés sont ceux de l'autrice des Métamorphoses des insectes du Surinam, et donc parfois non classiques.

[Kelly Macfarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent Latin reader! Tells an interesting story (all about Maria Sybila Merian and the insects she studied), beautifully illustrated with Merian's own drawings, with plenty of repetition to help embed vocabulary and structure, but also enough new material to keep readers' interest high. It will make an excellent addition to any Free Voluntary Latin Library for early to intermediate readers (all the cases; active and passive forms; indirect statement).