Charlie the Caterpillar
Written by Dom DeLuise
Illustrated by Christopher Santoro
Reviewed by Mohammed D. (age 7) & Jeff B. (age 7)
Did you ever have trouble making friends? Charlie the catterpillar did. Charlie asks many animals if he can play with them. Everybody said to him, "Get out of here." They felt he was ugly. Charlie was feeling so sad that he laid down and made a wonderful cocoon. He took a nap in the cocoon. Fall went to winter and then to spring. Charlie knew that it was time to wake up and then . . . pop, pop! Charlie had turned into a beautiful butterfly. When all the animals that had told him to go away saw that he had changed into a beautiful butterfly, they wanted to play with him. Charlie doesn't want to be with animals that just want to be his friend because he is beautiful. Charlie learns what real friends are. Charlie finds a small caterpillar that is crying. She has no friends. He becomes her friend. "He had finally found a friend . . . a real friend . . . a best friend."
I (Mohammed) liked when Katie and Charlie become best friends. We both have felt the way Charlie felt when he had no friends. I (Jeffrey) liked when Charlie the caterpillar changes into a beautiful butterfly. He has beautiful wings. I would like to fly like Charlie. Charlie The Caterpillar reminds us of the Ugly Duckling. Both Charlie and the duckling both change into beautiful animals that everyone admires. They both also learn what a true friend is.
We recommend this book to children who don't like the way they look and feel they don't have any friends. We also recommend this book to all children because they will learn how to be good to other people and to their friends.