Everyone loves a mystery!
The Mysterious White Sack combines fact, fantasy, and fabulous photography to tell a nature story about metamorphosis. Delightfully fanciful animal friends discover a white sack on a plant in their meadow. The sack suddenly hatches and the friends carefully observe the caterpillar as it progresses through its growth stages and chrysalis formation. The story ends with the dramatic transformation of the chrysalis into a gorgeous surprise!
This is an excellent gift book to share with relatives and classmates. It is suitable for readers and listeners age 8 to 108! The story will inspire many readers and listeners to plant anise in their garden to see if a milky white sack appears on the green fronds. The entire family can enjoy this wonderful activity!
The story was written to be read aloud with the reader creating different voices for each character. Young readers can imitate more experienced readers to master the technique. Each time the story is read it becomes a new opportunity for discovering previously missed detail.
Cheerie Howse was born and raised in Stockton, CA. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Stanford University and taught primary grades in Menlo Park for 16 years. In 1981 Cheerie began Chiropractic studies at Palmer West receiving her Doctor of Chiropractic degree in l984. Following 3 years in a San Carlos clinic, Cheerie opened her own practice in Atherton, California caring for patients there until her retirement at the end of 2001.
Cheerie lives in Redwood City sharing her delight in butterflies with all her neighborhood friends. A digital camera and magnifying glass are always ready for the next backyard discovery.
In a peaceful meadow at the edge of a forest a remarkable adventure is unfolding. Some of the meadow inhabitants have just made an interesting discovery.
"I didn't do it," screeched Scrappy Blue Jay.
"It's not mine," purred Purr Purr the kitten.
"Well, I certainly didn't do it," exclaimed Mrs. Mufflewump who looked like a fluffy fat ostrich. She always had a chartreuse and puce muffler cheerfully fluttering around her long neck.
"I haven't the foggiest idea what it is or how it got here," stated Wise Old Owl. "We will just have to wait and see what it does."
The animal friends were talking about a milky white sack that had suddenly appeared on the frond of an anise plant. No one had noticed when it had happened. Now the friends who lived in the meadow were jostling one another with eager curiosity. Each was thinking that one of their group had put the mysterious white sack on the plant. However, they all denied having anything to do with it.
"Let's poke it and see what it does," suggested Purr Purr the gray kitten. She was a very curious kitten and sometimes that curiosity got her into trouble.
"No, you might scare it," replied Flip Flop the shy rabbit. Her ears always went "flip flop" as she hopped along the trail.
"I could taste the sack," eagerly suggested Scrappy Blue Jay. "It might make a tasty morsel for my lunch."
"But then we will never find out what is is," cried a raccoon.
"Now listen," said Wise Old Owl. "We need to be patient. If we start poking and tasting we may disturb or kill it. Then we will never know what the sack is and why it is here."