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Writer's pictureLeanna Chappell

The Very Impatient Caterpillar - Storytime Online

Updated: Oct 3, 2022


Hello everyone! We hope you are all excited for The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach!


Michelle and I have put together a bunch of fun activities and crafts for the little ones. Starting on Thursday, September 1st (today), the kits are available to pick up for our online storytime for the whole month!


Enjoy a FREE copy of the book, and have fun doing the activities.


Everything is yours to keep!


"The Very Impatient Caterpillar" by Ross Burach


"HEY! What are you guys doing?" "We're going to metamorphosize." "Meta-WHAT-now?" "Transform into butterflies." "Right. Right. I knew that... WAIT?! You're telling me I can become a BUTTERFLY?" "Yes." "With wings?" "Yes." "Wait for ME!!"


Ross Burach’s hilarious, tongue-in-cheek exploration of metamorphosis will make you flutter with glee, while also providing real facts about how caterpillars transform into butterflies.



Watch comedian Roy Wood, Jr. read the story for #BNStorytime, Barnes & Noble’s virtual storytime channel. Then, enjoy the activities. Everything is yours to keep!


Kits include:

  • a FREE copy of The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach

  • information page

  • colors game (5 colored caterpillars)

  • 2 activity pages

  • 2 coloring pages

  • rhymes/song pages with weblinks (instrument included)

  • sticker scene craft

  • 3 magnets from the story

  • butterfly stickers


HANDOUT GAMES – play with included caterpillar handouts


Can You Show Me…?

(Tune: “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”)


Can you show me the green caterpillar?

Green caterpillar, green caterpillar?

Can you show me the green caterpillar?

And wave it in the air?

Black… yellow… blue… orange



Hold It High – Choose one caterpillar from handouts

Hold your caterpillar high and stand

Now wave it around in gestures grand!

Hold your caterpillar below your chin

Now hold it way up high again


Hold your caterpillar against your nose

Now touch the caterpillar to your toes

Touch your caterpillar to the ground

Now wave that caterpillar all around!


Hold your caterpillar in front of you

Now turn around – one time, two!

Hold your caterpillar and jump up high!

Now let your caterpillar fly fly fly (throw it in the air)



SONGS & INSTRUMENT – use included instruments


Caterpillar Crawled by The Kiboomers


Hungry Caterpillars by PINKFONG


Butterfly Dance by Patty Shukla


Preschool Learn to Dance: Butterfly Wings by Dance 'n Beats Lab



BOUNCE RHYME (bounce along with child in lap)


The Life of a Butterfly

(Tune: “Skip to My Lou”)


I’m a caterpillar, wiggle with me,

I’m a caterpillar, wiggle with me,

I’m a caterpillar, wiggle with me,

What’ll I be, my darlin’?

(wiggle child on lap)


A chrysalis, now sleep like me,

A chrysalis, now sleep like me,

A chrysalis, now sleep like me,

What’ll I be, my darlin’?

(lean child back against your chest as if sleeping)


A butterfly, come fly with me,

A butterfly, come fly with me,

A butterfly, come fly with me,

What’ll I be my darlin’?

(lift child up high with each ‘fly with me’)


Now all together, let’s do all three!

A caterpillar, a chrysalis, a butterfly, three!

Move your body like this with me,

The life of a butterfly, darlin’!



ACTION RHYMES


Caterpillar

The caterpillar crawled from a plant, you see

(left hand crawls up and down right arm)

“I think I’ll take a nap,” said he.

So over the ground he began to creep

(right hand crawls over left arm)

To spin a chrysalis and he fell asleep.

(cover right fist with left hand)

All winter he slept in his bed

Till spring came along and he said,

“Wake up, it’s time to get out of bed!”

(shake fist and pointer finger)

So he opened his eyes that sunny spring day

Said, “Look I’m a butterfly!” and he flew away.

(interlock thumbs and fly hands away)


Pretty Butterfly

(Tune: “Up on the Housetop”)


First comes a butterfly

Who lays an egg.

Out comes a caterpillar

With many legs.

Oh, see the caterpillar

Spin and spin.

A little chrysalis to sleep in.

Oh, oh, oh, look and see,

Oh, oh, oh, look and see,

Out of the chrysalis, my oh my,

Out comes a pretty butterfly!



Caterpillar, Caterpillar

Caterpillar, caterpillar (arms up high)

Turn around. (turn around)

Caterpillar, caterpillar (all fall down)

Slitter on the ground. (wiggle on the floor)

Caterpillar, caterpillar (stand up)

Spin a cocoon (twirl around)

Caterpillar, caterpillar (sit down)

Sleep until noon. (pretend to sleep)



Tiny Caterpillar

(Tune: “She’ll be Coming Around the Mountain”)


There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf, wiggle, wiggle.

There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf, wiggle, wiggle.

There’s a tiny caterpillar.

A tiny caterpillar.

There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf, wiggle, wiggle.

More verses:

There’s a hungry caterpillar on a leaf munch, munch!

There’s a shiny chrysalis on a leaf, shh, shh!

There’s a lovely butterfly flying high, flutter, flutter!


EXTRA LINKS!


Ross Burach’s site:


Roy Wood Jr.’s site:






Let us know what your little ones thought of The Very Impatient Caterpillar! What did they think of the activities? Do you have any suggestions for us?

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