Cumulative and Circular 2

Waiting for Wings

Ehlert, L. (2001). Waiting for Wings. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

ISBN#:0-15-202608-8

Summary:

This is a circular book about the process of caterpillars changing from eggs to butterflies, and then in turn lay their own eggs to start the process all over again. I think this book would be good for three to five year olds because the words are set in a rhyming scheme so it would be easier for the children to remember for future readings, and the pictures are very vibrant. The author used, what looks like, colorful paper in different shapes layered to make other shapes, like the flowers and butterflies. It’s a gorgeous technique and I think the children would be captured by these illustrations. Another aspect of the book I think the children would enjoy is the fact that there are different sized pages throughout the book. The pages start smaller, like a caterpillar, and then change to full size to allow the butterflies cover the whole pages; this truly highlights how the caterpillar changes from something small to something big, just like the children.

To provoke this book I would place big colourful balls (for eggs), stuffed or plastic caterpillars and butterflies around the room on tables and/or shelves and hanging from the ceiling.

To present the book:

The first way I would present this book would be to read the book to the children with stick puppets. First I would take a small ball and hold it in my hand, to represent an egg, then I would put that aside and have a caterpillar on a stick for when the eggs hatch in the story, then have a type of sack to pull over the caterpillar to represent a cocoon, then have a butterfly on a stick with big moving wings to bring out when the caterpillars break free of their cocoons.

The second way I would present this book would to get the children to be the butterflies. I would read the book and have the children start out being the eggs by crawling into a ball, then change into a caterpillar, then be in the cocoon and so on. They would roll, crawl, fly and then return to a ball to be an egg again. This book may be good for before nap time.

The third way I would present this would be to make a felt board. It would be easy to make it myself and look beautiful. I would just cut different coloured shapes for flowers and leaves, and then simply cut a few circles for the eggs, long rounded pieces for the caterpillars, but the butterflies may take a little more time.

Extensions:

One extension I would do is to teach the children about the different butterflies and flowers that are in the book. This book is perfect for that because in the back of the book it shows all the butterflies labeled and paired up with their eggs, caterpillars and the leaves that they eat. There is also another page labeling all of the flowers so we could also do a section about flowers.

Another extension could be the class getting a tadpole or salmon eggs. The children would be able to physically watch them grow and we could read about how tadpoles or eggs turn into frogs or fish.

One more extension would be to make our own butterflies with coloured paper, pipe cleaners and glitter. Then take the children with their butterflies on a walk to a nearby garden or park where, if the time of the year is right, butterflies may be.