Papilio
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A tale told in three parts by three friends! Powerhouse creators, Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser, have come together to create a wholly inventive picture book that is perfect for fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Introducing Papilio Polyxenes, the Black Swallowtail Butterfly! She’s an adorable and hilarious caterpillar who is ready to join the world and become a butterfly! But growing up is a complicated work in progress, and Papilio encounters some hiccups as she learns to fly, fall, and feed. While avoiding foes and making friends, she transforms from caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly...and most importantly, learns to believe in herself along the way.
Told in three parts and complete with backmatter about butterflies, mega-bestselling author-illustrator Ben Clanton (Narwhal and Jelly), Caldecott Honoree Corey R. Tabor (Mel Fell) and rising star Andy Chou Musser (Ploof) have come together to create an expressive character who exudes all of the emotions that accompany life's big firsts and the experiences that help us to discover our inner strength.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Three friends and creators depict the three stages of a black swallowtail's life—caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly—in this playful, punny collaboration. Clanton (the Narwhal and Jelly series), working in mixed media, introduces protagonist Papilio (Papilio polyxenes) as a yellow egg who hatches into a wide eyed—and, yes, mighty hungry—green caterpillar. Papilio soon tumbles off a leaf into an overwhelming world where a friendly mouse helps her devour a red, ripe strawberry. In the book's second section, Caldecott Honoree Tabor portrays the chrysalis stage using pencil, colored pencil, and watercolor. With Papilio now turned into "goo" in a green pod ("You can't become a butterfly without first becoming caterpillar soup"), two hapless robins eye the shell before the mouse again intervenes. Finally, Chou Musser (the Ploof series, with Clanton) presents Papilio's debut as a butterfly facing new challenges: flying is difficult, and predators lurk. But she finally takes flight and, in a sweet turnabout, lends a hand to the mouse. With a light narrative and visual touch, the creators' sections are just different enough to convey a sense of growth, optimism, and change. Facts and a creators' note conclude. Ages 3–7.
