Louie’s Lost Caterpillar Adventure
About the Book
Louie is a large, fluffy ginger cat, living at the Rescue Cats’ Centre. He makes friends with Charlie, the caterpillar. When Charlie goes missing, Louie sets off to look for him.
This story captures the imagination of young children as it is told from the cat’s perspective. Louie, the cat, discovers that his friend Charlie is not ‘missing’ as he thought but is instead going through a period of change.
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ISBN 978-0-473-27866-3
$15.00
About Louie
Louie is a large ginger cat with a big bushy tail. As a kitten, he enjoyed rough play with Richard (late) who gave him the nickname, chewy, chewy Louie.
Louie loves to be outdoors. It therefore seemed appropriate to interweave his story with that of the Monarch butterfly’s life cycle.
About the Book
Louie is a large, fluffy, ginger cat,. living at the Cat Rescue Centre. He makes friends with Charlie, the caterpillar and he goes missing, Louie sets off to look for him.
This story may be used as an adjunct to a nature study programme and in particular the Monarch butterfly cycle. It is a useful means of introducing the natural world to young readers, encouraging them to enjoy the outdoors and to observe what is happening around them.
It is inspired by the delightful photographs of Christine Johnston and Kristin Moolman.
Teacher Notes
Preschool
Many preschools will have access to swan plants and will be observing the monarch butterfly cycle or many pre-schoolers may have shared the experience in their own homes. Encourage the children to talk about caterpillars they have seen prior to reading the book.
Follow-up: Ask individual children to mime
- the caterpillar curling up
- the butterfly coming out of the chrysalis and drying her wings
- the butterfly flying
Group or class activity: cutting out circles from paper, colouring in and pasting to form giant caterpillar.
Year One and Two
This book may be read to the class or individual as above.
Discuss with the children what they would do if a friend went missing? Would they search for them, would they ask their friends if they had seen them, would they talk to an adult or someone they trusted? Next, read the introduction at the back of the book. “Let’s see what Louie the cat did when his friend, Charlie the caterpillar went missing. Follow-up with the children writing their own story about a friend who goes missing and what they did to help.
Material is available online re the Monarch butterfly cycle if the teacher wishes to integrate book with a nature study unit.
