The Children’s Book Review | January 22, 2017
Get to know Caterpillar from Kat Kronenberg’s Dream Big, a richly illustrated picture book demonstrating that together we can all be inspired to identify and pursue our dreams, no matter how big or impossible they may seem.
What get’s you out of bed in the morning?
Dude, food! The incredible smell of a yummy robust leaf just waiting for me to chomp on it.
I see you have a bag with you. Will you tell us what you keep inside of it?
These scrumptious delicious red berries I found. They are the perfect treat after a hearty meal.
Are you hungry right now?
I’m always hungry. Chomping and chewing…that’s what I like to do!
Can we fix you anything to eat?
Yes, please! I’ve never had someone prepare a meal for me. I’d love a surprise berry delight mixed with a double helping of the mean green leafs from the Baobab tree!
Do you like to read?
Yes! Yes! I love to learn. It helps me imagine all kinds of new possibilities. I just read about birds and how they fly. Now I imagine what it would feel like to be a bird that soars through the sky and rides the wind. While I chomp and chew on my yummy Baobab leaves, I carefully watch how birds accomplish such a feat. One day I plan to do the same thing, and guess what – I believe I actually can!
Do you have a favorite song?
Hmmm, well I love listening to Baboon and his son pounding their drums making up all kinds of different beats. Dude, I’d love to float through the sky and feel their rhythm in the wind.
Are you a rule follower or rule breaker?
I’m obviously a rule breaker! I don’t accept for a minute that bugs are only meant to crawl. No, I dare to imagine something totally different. I really and truly believe in my dream to fly despite Baboon sneering at me. I look up at my wished-upon star, smile big, and choose to drown out the noise in my head. I clap and shout out loud, “But I can! I believe!”
When was the last time you felt embarrassed?
I was embarrassed when Baboon made fun of me and my dream. Everyone heard, and I had no way to tell him he was wrong. What he said made sense to me and everyone listening. I was so humiliated though, I cocooned into a little ball to hide. But still, somewhere deep down inside, I knew that my dream could come true. Finally, I decided not to worry about others’ judgment or doubts. I choose to believe in myself and my dream.
If you weren’t answering the questions in this interview right now, what would you be doing?
Dude, I’d be reading how to soar and glide on different wind patterns.
Do you have any secrets you would like to share with us before you go?
Yes, but SHHH! Keep it on the down low. We don’t want any bad guys using this powerful secret to their advantage. It’s the secret of dreaming big. See, we’re all made of something really divinely, wonderfully, and powerfully made—STARDUST.
When I look up at my wished-upon star and smile big, it WHOOSHES down from the heavens and WHAM lights the gift of stardust in my chest which gives me the extra courage and strength I need to achieve my dream.
Did you know that a big smile is your “U-Shaped Bridge” to anywhere? It’s true! It opens your life up to possibility. It connects your head to your heart, your heart to your dreams, and your dreams to the power of “Something Bigger.”
So believe in yourself and your dreams, dude, and crazy possibilities can come true because you know what? Now that I am breaking free from my cocoon, it’s real. My secret worked. I have the extra strength I need to live my dream…Look at me…I can fly! I feel the wind in my wings!
***
Written by Kat Kronenberg
Illustrated by Stephanie Dehennin
Publisher’s Synopsis: One by one, Caterpillar, Tadpole, and Flamingo gaze up at the night sky and wish upon a star for their wildest dreams. Baboon, who can’t help but overhear, insists these dreams could never come true. But when he sees Caterpillar turn into a winged butterfly, Tadpole into a dancing frog, and Flamingo into a beautiful pink bird, Baboon realizes that a transformative power exists between these stars and the animals once they truly believe in themselves and their dreams. When Baboon tries out this secret, CATCH-M, his Magical, Mystical, Wished-Upon Star, whooshes down from the heavens to wham! ignite the courage in his chest too, and what happens next is fantastic!
Inclusive of an Arts/Activities resource section, this richly illustrated book demonstrates that together we can all be inspired to identify and pursue our dreams, no matter how big or impossible they may seem. Dream Big is the perfect heart-warming gift of encouragement for anyone starting a new phase in their life or a great send-off for grads—preschool, high school, college, and beyond!
Ages 4-6 | Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press | 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1626343474
Available Here:
About the Author
Kat Kronenberg is a debut children’s book author living in Austin, Texas. Her hope and dream is that through reading we can encourage one another other to “follow our bliss,” stay in the arena fighting for our dreams, and allow joy and fulfillment to be our internal GPS. In addition to spreading her message through her children’s book Dream Big, she also provides interactive games that promote abundance thinking, Common Core aligned discussion and project guides, and free downloadable activity sheets at www.katkronenberg.com. Her new book Dream Big is available now on Amazon and other booksellers nationwide.
More information about Kat Kronenberg can be found at www.katkronenberg.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
This interview with Caterpillar, a character in Kat Kronenberg’s Dream Big, was conducted between Kat Kronenberg and Bianca Schulze. For similar books and articles, follow along with our content tagged with Animals, Character Development, and Inspiration.