A charming and unique ode to natural curiosity and the beauty found in small, fleeting things

One day, Edie and Lou discover a visitor between the beet greens in their garden: a fuzzy orange-and-black caterpillar called a Woolly Bear. The sisters build Woolly Bear a cozy bed of pine needles and pebbles. They pluck tiny thyme leaves for her to munch on. They sing her all the songs they know. Woolly Bear is the last thing they think of at bedtime, and the first thing they think of in the morning. She becomes part of their family.

But when the last leaves of autumn begin to fall, Woolly Bear disappears. After sixteen days without their friend, the sisters are glum. But just like Woolly Bear, they realize they’re ready for new adventures. They spend the winter making memories in the garden and on the beach, and when spring comes, readers will notice that, unbeknownst to the sisters, Woolly Bear has returned—as a gold-winged Isabella Tiger Moth!

Debut author and illustrator Katie Arthur brilliantly captures a child’s wonder and enthusiasm for the natural world with her off-beat, lyrical text and artfully naïve illustration style. This fresh and quirky take on a caterpillar’s familiar journey encourages kids to approach nature with curiosity and kinship.