Caterpillar Kisses: Lessons My Kindergarten Class Taught Me About Life (Hardcover)

by Christine Pisera Naman (Author) "I had not been teaching very long before I realized that amid the ordinary hustle and bustle of each school day, blessed little events, magical..." (more)
Key Phrases: caterpillar kisses, Sister Helga

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Looking for an end-of-the-year thank-you gift for your child's kindergarten teacher? This brief book of vignettes could be the answer. Naman draws on her experiences as a kindergarten teacher in a Catholic school to create these sketches, with one story for each month of the school year. Most tales are cute and funny: there's the boy who dressed as Jesus for Halloween, blessing everyone in sight and using goldfish crackers to feed the multitudes; or the time when the kindergartners took Naman's admonition to "put yourself in someone else's shoes" literally, trading footwear with one another. Other episodes are poignant, like when Naman reflects on what she learned from a little girl whose mother died. If it's true that all we ever need to know we learned in kindergarten, this gift book is a fount of simple but necessary insights.
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Product Description
“When [my kindergartners] left me, they left me with the most wonderful memories and the imprints of their kisses upon my heart. To me, the blessed little events, the tiny magical moments, and the wonderful quick coincidences were like kisses.” —From the Introduction

A former kindergarten teacher, Christine Pisera Naman watched over many classes of five-year-olds as they made their way through the school year and discovered new things about themselves and the world around them. In Caterpillar Kisses, she turns her observations and insights into twelve delightful real-life vignettes, one for each month of the year.

The stories bring to life events, large and small, that help these wiggly, unsure caterpillars grow into beautiful and confident butterflies. From a first trip to the zoo to making angels in the snow, the kids embrace every new experience with all the silliness, enthusiasm, and wonder familiar to anyone who has spent time with a five-year-old. Naman explores the more difficult moments of childhood as well, offering sensitive, reassuring stories about the fear of thunderstorms and encountering death for the first time. Life lessons are tucked within everyday activities, including a hilarious session of learning (literally) how to walk in the other guy’s shoes and another emphasizing the importance of making others feel accepted. But the students are not the only ones undergoing change. During the course of the year, their teacher learns the best way to deal with too many “apples for the teacher” and comes to understand the true meaning of spirituality and the simple joy of dancing in the rain.

Alternately laugh-out-loud funny and poignant, Caterpillar Kisses illustrates the good things that come from looking at life through the eyes of children. It is perfect for anyone looking for the magic in everyday life.

“Luminous! Sometimes, when spending time with children, it is just so clear that they are our teachers.  Caterpillar Kisses shows us some of the small but tender lessons we stumble upon during the metamorphosis that occurs each and every day in a young child’s life.”

—Ann S. Ruethling, founder and vice president of merchandising, Chinaberry, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday Religion (April 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385513879
• ISBN-13: 978-0385513876
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #939,621 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Will make your heart sing, April 25, 2005

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Sometimes, when we read a book, we just want to feel good. We want to feel that the hard work and dedication to something we believe in, is in fact worth it. If you agree with these statements, Caterpillar Kisses by Christine Pisera Naman is a book you don't want to miss.

Pisera Naman is a former kindergarten teacher who, while teaching and caring for numerous classes over the years, watched her charges change from wiggly little caterpillars to confident new butterflies. Along the way Pisera Naman realizes that not only are the children learning about themselves and their world but that she is learning and changing also.

The twelve vignettes shared in this little book are poignant, funny, exhilarating, hopeful and life-affirming. And they can only be told by an adult who cares enough to really see the miracles of life through the eyes of children. For anyone who wants and needs to see the magic in the world.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE THIS LITTLE BOOK!, April 7, 2005

By	Debbie R. (Heartland of America!) - See all my reviews

I just happened to pick up this precious little book while I was in the bookstore the other day and had to buy it! After reading it, I came to this site to buy copies for all of my children's teachers! It is so delightful and inspirational, I'm spreading the word to all of my friends so they can do the same. This is a must have for parents, children, and the PERFECT answer for that hard to decide on end of the year gift for teachers. Buy this book in multiples! You'll love it!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great book!, April 11, 2005

By	Mandy (Spokane, WA) - See all my reviews

I love this book! I'm not a teacher, but I came across this cute book and I just couldn't put it down. It's the kind of book you can pick up again and again to lift your spirits with its heartwarming stories. Pick it up!