The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars [Hardcover]

Jean Merrill (Adapter), Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 21, 1992 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

Living in twelfth-century Japan, Izumi, a young girl who is fascinated by small creatures, especially caterpillars, ignores the rigid conventions of Japanese court life and the wishes of her parents to pursue her own interests and choices.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Delicate, luminous oil paintings illustrate this 12th-century Japanese tale about an unconventional girl. Unlike other gentle flowers of her age, Izumi prefers collecting insects and caterpillars with "some scruffy-looking boys" to dressing fashionably and plucking her eyebrows. Her frustrated parents fear no respected suitor will want such a headstrong wife, but Izumi's reputation captures the fancy of both a nobleman and a captain, either of whom may eventually ask for her hand. Merrill's retelling has a slow, almost laborious pace. And though the story is culled from scholarly sources, its abrupt ending and question-raising afterword fail to satisfy. Cooper's glowing portraits of Izumi, with her "eyebrows like caterpillars," breathe life and imagination into the text. The book's becoming design makes the most of his striking artwork, which occupies three-quarters of each spread--text is arranged in vertical columns against the remaining space. Silken Japanese robes, indigenous flora and architecture imbue the paintings with an authentic Eastern flavor. Although Izumi's independence holds much appeal, young readers may be eager for more information about her fate. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-- A retelling of a Japanese story believed to date from the 12th century. Izumi is the privileged and pretty daughter of a provincial inspector in the emperor's court; she refuses to conform to standards of beauty and decorum. Preoccupied with the study of ``the original nature of things,'' Izumi particularly loves caterpillars, and most enjoys the company, not of noblemen, but of low class boys who supply her with caterpillars to study. She attracts the admiration of a young nobleman who concludes he is not good enough for her; the story thus ends abruptly for, as an author's note explains, the rest of it has been lost. The retelling of this curious fragment is graceful and competent. Cooper's warm, beautiful oil wash paintings are in his familiar, appealing style, but they are flawed by inaccuracy of detail in both costume and setting, reflecting a period hundreds of years later than the story's setting. Still, this unusual piece will find use in classrooms; literally unfinished, it is a natural for creative writing assignments and, teamed with Cole's Dragon in the Cliff (Lothrop, 1991), could lead to discussion of the difficulties faced by women with a passion for science. --Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Philomel; 1st edition (October 21, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399218718
• ISBN-13: 978-0399218712
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,783,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustrations; lovely tale of medieval Japan, October 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars (Hardcover)

This is a marvellous presentation of the traditional Japanese tale ``The lady who loved insects''. It has an admirable protagonist in the title character who is sensible and strong, able to think for herself, who resists the pressures to conform.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only version of this fascinating Japanese fairy tale available in America, March 1, 2006

By 

Jeannine Hall Gailey (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars (Paperback)

This children's book is the only version of this 12th century Japanese fairy tale I could find in English in the US. The bold, courageous heroine of the story is charming and delightful, and the illustrations are beautiful. The original story was supposed to have informed Miyazaki's lovely animated film "Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind," which I also highly recommend.