Customer Reviews

Toestomper and the Caterpillars

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My 3 year old "discovered" this book after I heard about it on NPR. After previewing it at the library it was at the top of his Christmas list. Ever since, we read it daily with him demanding that I "do the voices". For parents who like to dramatize their readings, this book is a treasure. Colorful characters and excellent illustrations bring a funny tale of a tough guy who finds his soft side and learns to be a friend to smaller animals. Others may question the look and attitude of Toestomper and his cohorts, but I judge books by the reaction of my child. We've read it at least 50 times and so far the only change in his behaviour I've seen is that when he sees smaller children or little animals he says "We should be nice to them...like Toestomper."

I read this one to my approaching-40 husband, the closest I come to a child. He thought it was fun. Asked for a message, he came up with: "It's okay to change. It's okay to stand up for the people you love." It seems to me that getting into questionable situations is how you learn/teach your children to make good choices. Pay no attention to the ranter behind the curtain.The illustrations are very expressive too.

Thanks to my five-year-old son, I've probably read this book 200 times by now. His assessment: "I just like it." Mine: It's an entertaining story that shows kids (especially crashy-bashy boys) the value of nurturing and caring for others, and that they can establish and stick to their own values even if their friends don't agree--all with an approach that's not the usual tedious "Children's Book of Virtues" fare. I could have lived without the cheating-at-cards element--otherwise top rate.

The story is so very sweet,this big bad bully became a warm wonderful caretaker. Tha Art in the book is so cute. You just love O'Toestomper! Under all that Bad Guy stuff he is a real lover. Good job! We loved it. Thank you.

We're heavy readers at our house, but underneath the mounds of books here and there, this is one that can always be found at storytime. There's a reason for that--this book is special. It doesn't deal with sweet fairytales that end in all problems being solved like most other children's books do, but meets you where you are: in the middle of life, trying to get along.

This book is about growth of character, of compassion, of listening to your heart and doing what's right--and being rewarded for that effort. This lesson, told in the midst of sorting out who your friends are as well as who they can be, is poignantly and whimsically told in this book.

Get it for your kids, but read it because it will make YOU feel good.

Sharleen Collicott's story is very well constructed and teaches about the fruitlessness of anger and selfishness, but more importantly shows the ability of someone to change and transform into a caring and nurturing person. The artwork is really quite excellent, I highly recommend this book to anyone who reads to or with young ones.

First of all, any book with a name like Toestomper has a good start. And when you look at the expressions on the caterpillar's faces on the front cover, you can tell it's a must-read. It's a great story that isn't cute. It's written simply and well, and the pictures are beautiful and detailed, not to mention very funny. Our whole family loved it.

We received Toestomper and the Bad Butterflies as a gift to our 2 year old son. I'm not even sure how long we had it when he brought it to us to read. Has he tons of books. Needless to say, this one is by far his favorite. We have been reading it everyday for months now. As another parent mentioned, this book is great for those of us who do all the "voices" for our kids.

We liked Toestomper so much, we looked up the author to see what else she had written and found Toestomper and the Caterpillars. Now we read both books every night. Our sons loves Stomper (as he calls him) and talks about the books often. Funny thing is that my husband and I enjoy the books as much as he does.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It's a hit here, that's for sure!

Ah, pooh to the complaints about the cheating. It's a great lesson on compassion and a real fun read. Not heavy handed. My kids love it almost as much as Scott Simon and Daniel Pinkwater did on NPR's Weekend Edition. The pure joy they showed when reading it on the show sold me.

On National Public Radio 9/4: The reviewer and interviewer laughed throughout the story and thought the illustrations were excellent. Their utter enjoyment was obvious. I can't wait to read the book!!! Too bad my neices aren't old enough...