Book Review of Munch Crunch: A Caterpillar Tale
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The Children’s Book Review
Munch Crunch: A Caterpillar Tale
Written by Mary Anne Rich Schweitzer
Illustrated by Sarah Steinberg
Ages 3+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Amazon Self-Publishing (2023) | ISBN-13: 9788218243364
What to Expect: Social-emotional learning, agriculture, compassion, and working together.
In this simple fable, readers can watch the cycle of life as it plays out through human and nature interactions.
The village of Ozark has a problem—the wheat crop has vanished! No wheat means no bread, no pizza, and, worst of all, no chocolate chip cookies. Where did the wheat go? It got guzzled by two greedy caterpillars, Codi and Gabbi. Anxious, the villagers hold an emergency meeting, but they can’t think what to do. Then, along comes Mido the sparrow with a plan to kill two birds with one stone—he plans to rescue the town’s wheat and get a tasty lunch by eating them! To his surprise, the farmer and townspeople don’t agree. They vote to rescue the caterpillars from Mido. They know that one day, Cadi and Gabbi will be beautiful and useful butterflies, bringing both joy and pollination to the village.
Lighthearted and gentle, the story encourages readers to reflect on the value of sacrificing short-term fulfillment for long-term sustainability and pleasure. Sarah Steinberg illustrates the volume with softly colored, cheerful cartoon artwork that bursts with springtime exuberance. Short bursts of simple text help young readers follow the story and relate the textual descriptions to the imagery. At the end of the story, a fact page offers readers more information about wheat and a reading list and website resource list, supporting further learning.
Munch Crunch: A Caterpillar Tale is an accessible and enjoyable fable, perfect for classroom reading and projects, especially on sustainability and agriculture.
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About the Author
Mary Anne Rich-Schweitzer had a dream to bring wonderful storytelling to children, inspired by her years as a dedicated teacher who loves kids and her desire to foster in them a lifelong love of reading. The result is her debut picture book, Munch Crunch: A Caterpillar Tale, a heartwarming tale of friendship and compassion.
Born in the beautiful nature-filled Catskill Region of upstate New York, hiking and marveling at nature has always been a part of her life. An advocate for children, she was recognized in 1999 by the Spirit of Women Foundation for her ten years of compassionate work with children bravely battling AIDS/HIV through her work at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Jersey and related volunteer outreach through Rutgers University.
Mary Anne believes a great book is one with engaging illustrations and fun characters that children can relate to. She hopes that her story’s positive message stays with young readers long after the book is closed. When she isn’t busy creating inspiring tales, she enjoys reading, cooking, and exercising. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband
For more information, visit maryarichbooks.com.
About the Illustrator
Sarah Steinberg grew up in New Jersey, telling stories to herself and her siblings, and never stopped living for words and pictures.
Disappointed that her career in architecture did not lead to designing secret rooms, treehouses, or fantasy gardens, Sarah turned to storytelling and brought a wealth of experience to the creating and illustrating space. A watercolorist with formal drafting experience, Sarah is dipping her brushes and pens into the world of picture books and graphic novels.
She writes her own children’s stories and collaborates with others, celebrating finding magic in the everyday world. Sarah lives in Portland, Oregon, with her partner Matt, son Ollie, an elderly dog, several noisy chickens, and some hummingbird pals. Sarah is represented by Allison Remcheck Pernetti at Stimola Literary.
You can find her portfolio at sarahesteinberg.com.
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. This is a sponsored*, non-biased review of Munch Crunch: A Caterpillar Tale. Learn more about getting a book review …
