A caterpillar comes to school in a jar. The class watches thecaterpillar each day as it grows and changes. Soon, it disappearsinto a hard shell called a chrysalis. Then the chrysalis breaks,and a beautiful butterfly flies out of the jar! This is a perfectbeginner's guide to the mystery of metamorphosis.

　　A caterpillar comes to school in a jar. The class watches the
caterpillar each day as it grows and changes. Soon, it disappears
into a hard shell called a chrysalis. Then the chrysalis breaks,
and a beautiful butterfly flies out of the jar! This is a perfect
beginner's guide to the mystery of metamorphosis.

　　Although the drama of metamorphosis has been documented withgreater detail in other titles, this presentation stands outbecause of its classroom setting. The process is seen through thechildren's eyes as they experience the excitement of observing thewiggly caterpillar, watch it molt, change into a chrysalis, endurethe endless waiting, and stare in wonder as a Painted Ladybutterfly emerges and dries its wings. The closing pages show theclass at the window watching the insect pause on a flower beforeflying away to begin the life cycle once again. Pen-and-ink andwatercolor illustrations create a cheerful setting similar in styleto those found in Miriam Cohen's books about classroom events.Close-ups show the stages of transformation as captions wend alongplant leaves and stems reminiscent of a caterpillar crawling. Asmall collection of butterflies commonly found in most parts of theU.S. and a list of addresses of butterfly centers are appended. Aninviting book that young children can relate to and one thatteachers will find valuable to support nature-study projects.