Whales Book

Face to Face with Caterpillars by Darlyne A. Murawski is an informational text that relays information about caterpillars in a non-traditional way. Murawski explains her journeys to find and photograph these caterpillars that are largely displayed throughout the book while also filling the pages with facts and information about caterpillars. The majority of the text is written in a prose-like way but then there are many text features that make the information accessible to many readers. In many of the columns on various pages there are columns that have different facts and information such as "how to see like a caterpillar" and "how to raise a monarch." As mentioned, this book is filled with large pictures that allow readers to get a close up view to some rare caterpillars. Some pictures even have matching diagrams that explain the different parts of a caterpillar. This is a nice feature because the diagram is a replica of the picture so readers can locate a part of the caterpillar on the diagram and then see where it corresponds on the picture. At the end of the book that are some pages that contain information on "how you can help" and some overall facts on caterpillars (habitat, life cycle, diet, etc.). This end pages are in bulleted form which makes the information more accessible.
There are clear links between this book and the science curriculum in regards to ecosystems and structures and functions of living organisms. This book could be used during whole class instruction as scaffolding on how to do research using an informational text or it could be provided for students to use independently. This would also be a great book to use to teach students more about different text features (it has a glossary and other previously mentioned features). Lastly, this book has links to a Social Studies curriculum because there is a page at the end that talks about researching local rare butterflies and to talk to teachers and parents about protecting this species. This would fit great into a lesson on responsibilities to your community and how to respect and look after your environment.