Creepy Crawly Caterpillar

Defined by loose, black ink outlines, Bolam's (The House That Jack Built) undiluted colors and fanciful images clamor for attention in this tale of transformation. May (Big Brave Brother Ben) imagines a time ``when the world was new,'' that is, among other things, before caterpillars knew they would eventually become butterflies. Accordingly, Creepy Crawly Caterpillar is a fairly frustrated creature. Try as he might, and to the constant jeers of his insect neighbors, his attempts at flying always end in graceless plops. The predictable ending still comes as a surprise, thanks to a dramatic, giant pop-out butterfly in shrieking pinks and oranges. Even as a caterpillar, Creepy Crawly is as exotic as they come. His massive, rounded segments are puffy canvases of fuchsia and tangerine swirls, dotted with pointed periwinkle protuberances. His habitat-bright, solid-color hills-sports a forest of wild (and without a doubt extinct) flowers in high-pitched hues rarely if ever found in nature. A visual confection. Ages 1-4. (Oct.)