Caterpillar Chryzzle by Andrew Bond and illustrated by Julie Völk is cbr16bingo Dreams just because there is a new adventure coming. The Caterpillar of the story is going onto another life and not standing still. They feel the “tingly” or the “chryzzle” of what lays beyond what they have in front of them. Others might laugh, and are content to stay grounded (literally in the character of Worm) but our young hero won’t be stopped.
This book shows how we must allow ourselves to grow and change, and how that will allow us to reach new heights. It is a familiar tale, but the way Volk creates poetic watercolor illustrations, allowing for a fresh take. (The author’s biography says that the artwork has the original atmosphere of Volk’s style). With the symbol of the caterpillar showing how we grow and making things become different, we have a smooth and slightly edgy modern fairy tale with some classic elements.
The text of Bond is a smidgen “older” than what we might be used to, but it works well for the theme and artwork. The author is from the UK and Switzerland. I was noticing a more non-traditional Western tone to things, and that would explain why. I like the worldliness of things, but it is not overly mature. Both of the elements take the coming of age theme and show it to a younger audience. It is a unique combination of story being told via text and illustrations but, the meat is the actual text.
