The Secret of Three Butterpillars: A Never-Ending Tale

By Charlotta Janssen

Introducing the Tumbling Book--the ingenious new format that's a book, a toy, a game. And discover a world of butterpillars and caterflies, nature's power of metamorphosis, and a meadow filled with all manner of change. "The Secret of Three Butterpillars" reads from front to back, and back again to front in a story that never ends. Designed with double hinges like a Jacob's ladder, it flips and turns. Hold the book horizontally, pull out the handles embedded in the sides-and presto, the book tumbles out, revealing new landscapes. Conceived and created by Charlotta Janssen, "The Secret of Three Butterpillars" delights with its swirling, colorful paintings and simple rhyming text. It's a secret, but there's no doubt -- One day they too shall find it out And so begins the circular story of the butterpillar, a whimsical creature that resembles a caterpillar and fittingly evolves like one. Soon it becomes a beautiful caterfly, and the next cycle of butterpillar life begins. In addition to these creatures, each mural-like panel features four inchworms, three ladybugs, two grasshoppers, and one snail. Happy searching

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761121137
• ISBN13: 9780761121138
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
• Length: 18 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.9" x 0.9" x 6.6"
• Age Range: 5 years and up
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

The Reincarnation of Leonardo Da Vinci

Charlotta Jensen is truly one of the most artistically inspired artists of the 21st Century, in any medium that can be conjured or is as yet not invented.

Fun reading but most importantly, magical to play with...

The story is captivating, the illustrations are very comical and imaginative, as is the play on words -- caterflies, butterpillars -- and finding the hidden bugs on every page. However, my children were most captivated by the physics of the book reading around and around, both ways, and then you can pull the side flaps out and the book tumbles down magically one way and then the other. This intrigued not only the younger children but also a 10-year old girl and her 13-year old brother. Not an easy thing to do! Highly recommended.

It's no secret...this book is beautiful, smart and FUN!

I'm buying this book for all of my friends' kids for christmas. The story is cute and well crafted and the most amazing thing about the book is the art. Within each pannel are a certain # of insects to find and count while reading and just when you think the story is done you flip the book over and it continues. Even more than that if you hold one end of it all of the pannels flip open like a jacobs ladder to reveal complete and beuatiful scenes your kids will love. I highly reccomend this creative approach to learning!