Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Mon Apr 03 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Convention is upended in this striking tale of individuality and change."Black. Orange. This. Not that." From the day they are hatched, young caterpillars are informed by their butterfly guardians how to think and how to act. All obey except for Charley. While the others eat ceaselessly, Charley looks up into the canopy and gazes at the trees and clouds and stars. While the others dream of becoming butterflies, Charley imagines what it would be like to be a deer or a waterfall. And as the butterflies tell their charges what to think, Charley finds new things to discover. At last, the day comes for all caterpillars to form their chrysalises, and Charley worries. But while inside, the wayward caterpillar imagines far more than just orange and black, so that when at last the new butterflies emerge, the protagonist's wings reflect "everything Charley had ever loved." Storytelling that could have come off as heavy-handed is instead treated here with an elegant touch. Wise produces lush, lovely spreads, not only of the standard monarch colors, but of a world far beyond their perceived limitations. The reveal at the end is evocative of that final spread in Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) but with an entirely different thought process at work. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Moralizing bows out in favor of a clever celebration of how our experiences affect our selves. (Picture book. 3-6)

ALA Booklist (Mon Jun 05 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Charley understands what young caterpillars are supposed to do: put their heads down and consume as much milkweed as possible. There are so many interesting things to see, though! Charley wants to look at trees, wildflowers, mountains, stars, clouds, waterfalls, and the sea. His mission, however, is clear: eat, form a chrysalis, and develop into an orange and black Monarch butterfly. Digital illustrations vividly portray Charley's desire to do things differently. The other caterpillars do as they are instructed and do not seem to mind. They all successfully emerge from their chrysalises, but Charley requires a bit more time in his. An elder is afraid Charley won't make it, until suddenly a new butterfly emerges from Charley's chrysalis and unfurls its wings, uniquely colorful and reflecting all the things Charley loves. As children decide who they are going to be, this story invites them to recognize that there may be more than one path to follow.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Convention is upended in this striking tale of individuality and change."Black. Orange. This. Not that." From the day they are hatched, young caterpillars are informed by their butterfly guardians how to think and how to act. All obey except for Charley. While the others eat ceaselessly, Charley looks up into the canopy and gazes at the trees and clouds and stars. While the others dream of becoming butterflies, Charley imagines what it would be like to be a deer or a waterfall. And as the butterflies tell their charges what to think, Charley finds new things to discover. At last, the day comes for all caterpillars to form their chrysalises, and Charley worries. But while inside, the wayward caterpillar imagines far more than just orange and black, so that when at last the new butterflies emerge, the protagonist's wings reflect "everything Charley had ever loved." Storytelling that could have come off as heavy-handed is instead treated here with an elegant touch. Wise produces lush, lovely spreads, not only of the standard monarch colors, but of a world far beyond their perceived limitations. The reveal at the end is evocative of that final spread in Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) but with an entirely different thought process at work. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Moralizing bows out in favor of a clever celebration of how our experiences affect our selves. (Picture book. 3-6)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In this be-yourself story by DiPucchio (Not Yeti), Charley may look like the rest of the monarch caterpillars around him, but while the others “kept their heads down, eating, just as they’d been taught,” Charley gazes dreamily up at the trees, the clouds, and the stars. His elders urge him to munch milkweed, the better to become “a big, strong butterfly,” but Charley wonders about being “a spotted fawn. Or a waterfall.” Part of the young caterpillars’ lesson is to gaze at monarch-patterned cards so they’ll know how to model themselves; Charley concentrates, instead, on wildflowers and mountains. Boldly hued digital spreads by Wise (Magnolia Flower) create a graphically simple caterpillar’s-eye view that’s loosely faithful to the natural world, highlighting monarch caterpillar coloration and the milkweed’s starry compound flowers. After the chrysalises of Charley’s cohort finally hatch and Charley isn’t among them, a final surprise reveals his new form, which reflects the character’s creativity as a young caterpillar. The idea that experiences and expectations shape creatures as they grow is gently and colorfully suggested, though, for the youngest readers, the difference between which elements are invented and which are fact may not be intuitively clear. Ages 3–7. Agent (for author and illustrator): Steven Malk, Writers House. (May)

School Library Journal (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

PreS-Gr 2— This charming work tells the story of Charley, a caterpillar who looks to the skies as his friends keep their heads down to eat, exactly as they were taught. The young caterpillars spend their days learning the way of the butterfly; encouraged by the elders to "think black, think orange," and "eat your milkweed." Charley struggles to concentrate on the stern, repetitive expectations as the warm sun beckons him to discover the beauty that surrounds him in the wildflowers, mountains, and the turquoise sea. When the time comes for Charley to begin his metamorphosis, he fears failure, until he hears the song of a bluebird and channels the peaceful warmth of the sun and the calming twinkle of the stars. When Charley emerges, he has become everything he has ever loved. Readers will surely be drawn to the bright illustrations that evoke both the carefree mood of Charley and the rigidity of the elder butterflies. The variety of sizes and typefaces of text add interest to the story, while the pacing is compelling. VERDICT The underlying message, that it is okay to stray from what is expected, will delight young and old readers alike.— Ellen Kleber