Pipsie Nature Detective: The Disappearing Caterpillar

Pipsie Nature Detective: The Disappearing Caterpillar written by Rick DeDonato and illustrated by Tracy Bishop (2015)

Pipsie and her pet turtle Alfred make a new friend. Her name is Frannie and she’s a yellow and black striped caterpillar. Frannie eats, and eats, and eats… and grows, and grows, and grows. Then one morning, Frannie disappears! Pipsie and Alfred search everywhere for her. Finally, the bug expert at the zoo tells them to go back home and look for a chrysalis. Sure enough they found one in the garden. Pipse watched for nine days. On the tenth day, the chrysalis opened out out came a beautiful black and orange Monarch butterfly… it was Frannie!

It’s a little too early around my neck of the woods, but pretty soon we’ll be able to find some caterpillars, chrysalis, and butterflies. This website gives some excellent information on finding caterpillars and keeping them so you can observe them as they change into butterflies.

Edible life-cycle snacks:

Or, demonstrate with uncooked pasta and rice then cook up a mixed-pasta dish for lunch.