Something a little different from the bestselling author of 'The Gruffalo', working with a new illustrator too.

The brown, woolly caterpillar is crawling through the garden wondering about her future. What type of moth will she become?

The other caterpillars look much brighter and more colourful, but they're harsh and dismissive of Woolly Bear, making fun of her, sure of their superiority.

When the day comes for the caterpillars to shed their skin, though, there are some surprises in store.

The story is simple and familiar, and the caterpillars chant their views in rhyming verse. The illustrations are colourful and fun, and we are introduced to different types of moths throughout the story. There is also a message of individuality and acceptance and not to judge by appearance.

This picture book comes with a non-fiction mini book all about moths and caterpillars, written by a nature specialist. It is aimed at children aged three years upwards.

I read this book with my nature loving three year old daughter and it was a massive hit - as I hoped it would be!

She loved the story and the characters in the book and as soon as we had finished she asked for me to read it to her again, and again! There is no hesitation that it is a 5 star read from her!

As a mum I thought it was lovely, I loved the illustrations, the books was fun and informative and I loved the focus - in our house we do love all things Julia Donaldson, even typing this I can see a stuffed Zog teddy in the corner of the room!

It is 5 stars for this one, a brilliant book and one we will be very highly recommending - we loved it!!

The Wooly Bear Caterpillar published by Macmillan.

Wow what an amazing collaboration, one of the most renowned picture book authors teamed with the amazing talents of Yuval Zommer, children’s book illustrator extraordinair! I expected huge things from this book and it didn’t disappoint!

First of all the book is about moths, the most underrated and under acknowledged member of the mini beast world. In this story different types of moths and their habitats are explored and given the Limelight they deserve.

The story is a retelling of the ugly duckling but the protagonist is a caterpillar, who feels rather dull compared to the other caterpillars in her neighbourhood. Each caterpillar she meets is given its correct name and it’s habitat is mentioned, I love this little detail which helps young children learn while enjoying the story.

The story is beautifully written with a lovely little song repeated throughout providing the perfect opportunity for children to join in. We are a huge fan of Yuval’s distinguished illustrations, the wonderful backdrops and detailed, and anatomically accurate, drawings of characters really add so much character to the story and bring each caterpillar and moth to life.

A wonderful read and addition to any child’s library or classroom, teaching the important message that there is always more than meets the eye. Thank you to @netgalley and Mamillan for the opportunity to read and review this lovely book.

This book is great!

The story appeals to all ages, expertly written, perfectly illustrated with visually stimulating pictures that are enjoyable to explore.

It also sends a positive message that it doesn’t matter what you look like, you are still beautiful.

Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Another fab book from Julia Donaldson. The Woolly Bear Caterpillar is on the search for more dandelions to munch on after a gardener pulls up the ones he had been eating. As he is on his search he comes across three different caterpillers, all bright and bold in colour. These caterpillars are very boastful about this and remark on how beautiful their butterfly wings will be and how dull and boring Woolley Bears are likely to be. As the story unfolds and each caterpillar weaves their cocoon to transform inside, the young readers will discover the importance of not judging a book by its cover and that it’s what’s on this inside that counts.

The story is told with some rhyming text but not all the text is that way. With some lovely illustrations to support the story on the pages. A lovely way to introduce young children to the life cycles of caterpillars and shares a fab message.

A great news book from Julia Donaldson which I am sure children will enjoy!

** I received an advanced copy of this ebook to read and review. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for allowing me this opportunity. **

Anything by Julia Donaldson is always a Auto read for myself and my kiddies! We absolutely loved this heartwarming story! Would definitely recommend!

Thanks to the publisher for this ARC. I'm a big fan of Julia Donaldson, so had to request this one.
It tells the story of the Woolly Bear caterpillar who comes across a number of other interesting and beautiful caterpillars during her search for dandelion leaves. Each sings a song about their own beauty and makes fun of the 'plain' woolly Bear caterpillar.
The illustrations by Yuval Zommer are lovely throughout and this was a fun story.

I sat and read this to my daughter, and she really enjoyed it!
We have visited a butterfly Park before and I knew she would therefore enjoy this too!
Great storyline with great illustrations too.

Upon seeing this Julia Donaldson book, I just had to request it and was lucky enough to be accepted to read and review it. I am a big fan of Julia Donaldson and this book did not disappoint. The cover is beautiful as is all of the illustrations throughout. This is a story about 4 different caterpillars and how they looked! They wasn't very nice about the Wooley Bear Caterpillar because she was so plain looking and they were all pretty but she showed them in the end just how truly beautiful she was. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Review pending.

But first thoughts are that the cover is incredibly colourful and engaging for children and parents alike

Although I like the story and the message, I didn't enjoy the illustrations. I find them a bit irritating and scary (but it is just me, I guess.) That said, there aren't many children's books about caterpillars out there, so it was fun to learn more about them.

This is a beautifully illustrated story with some brilliant little rhymes throughout the book!

The story starts with a little wooly bear caterpillar exploring the garden to look for dandelions to eat. On his way he finds several other caterpillars who are all more brightly coloured than he is. They each have a little song:

'Look at me!
Look at me!
I'm bonny and bright as can be.
With my hair of bright gold,
I'm a joy to behold,
The queen of the sycamore tree.'

Wooly bear caterpillar becomes sad that he isn’t as colourful as them and he wonders what sort of moth he will become. As they start to transform things start to change however. Whilst the other caterpillars become disappointed with their dull coloured wings Wooly bear is delighted with his transformation.

Another great story from Julia Donaldson. The story could be described as the minibeast version of 'The ugly duckling.'
This would be a great addition to a minibeast topic at school and would really help to reinforce the life cycle of a butterfly/moth through a fun story. I know both of my children will love this book and I'll definitely be purchasing a physical copy when it comes out.
There is a non fiction mini book included with the book too.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Books this eARC.

Thanks to Julia Donaldson, MacMillan Books and NetGalley for the advance review copy of The Woolly Bear Caterpillar.

My girls (7 and 4) are huge fans of Julia Donaldson (I think we have nearly all of her books to date!) so we were super excited to read the latest edition - The Woolly Bear Caterpillar.

The book tells the story of a woolly bear caterpillar who is sad because she is plain. She bumps into a 3 different species of caterpillar, each of whom is brighter, more colourful and bolder than she is. They are all boasting about how beautiful and unique they will be when they turn into a moth, telling the Woolly Bear Caterpillar that she will most likely be quite dull and boring based on her current appearance.. The story then covers the process of her building a cocoon and the moment she is revealed as a beautiful moth.

The story provides some great lessons about being kind, never judging a book by its cover and a reminder that it's what's on the inside - your potential and what you can bloom into that counts.

The girls really enjoyed the story, I as the parent reading aloud however, did miss some of the rhyming rhythm that we normally associated with Julia Donaldson's books. Whilst there was some rhyming paragraphs it wasn't throughout the whole text which is perhaps what we are used to.

4/5 from us - an educational, beautifully illustrated book with a poignant message.

My children are 6 and 4 and learn about the lifecycle of a butterfly/moth on an annual basis at preschool/school. To say they are obsessed with this metamorphosis is an understatement so they were both enthralled by this book. They loved the detail about the different types of caterpillar and what they fed on and how they looked. The story then sparked conversations about not judging anyone’s on appearances and the importance of always being kind because the woolly bear caterpillar is a plain brown caterpillar and is made fun of by the other caterpillars. I think all children 6 and under will love this book.