Synopsis
When a tiny, yellow egg appears on the scene, three friends, Speckles the spider, Crumbs the cricket, and Annie the ant, aren't sure what to think. But when Katy the caterpillar appears, Speckles and Crumbs think the caterpillar is much too ugly to be their friend.
Only Annie the ant looks past the caterpillar's funny shape and makes friends with Katy. As Katy the caterpillar begins her strange transformation into a beautiful butterfly, Annie is shocked and amazed. This educational and beautifully illustrated story shows the true meaning of beauty and friendship and the pitfalls of judging others by their appearances.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 3–This bilingual story touches on the themes of friendship and respect. Speckles the spider, Crumbs the cricket, and Annie the ant feel differently about the prospect of Katy the caterpillar becoming their friend because of the way she looks. While Speckles and Crumbs are more focused on Katy’s outer beauty, Annie appreciates her inner self. The story concludes with Katy changing into a beautiful butterfly. The vibrantly colored illustrations are lively and inviting, but they are a bit overshadowed on the page. The text is placed in randomly dispersed white space above and below the art, and the English text is highlighted in bold purple boxes. Despite a slightly unattractive layout, the book’s positive message outweighs this design flaw.–Rhonda Jeffers, Coweta Public Library System, Newnan, GA