Ann Arbor author Donna Wicker has a new book for ages 3 to 8, Tale of Two Caterpillars. The first work by the author, the story is illustrated by Brooke O’Neill.
Wicker is new to writing and has a background as an optometrist. But she has always been interested in protecting our natural environment.
“I’ve been wandering around my yard since I was a child interest in science, biology and nature,” she said. “There are a lot of books out there about different insects including butterflies. I wanted to create one with nature facts and a story that’s easy to read. I have two grandchildren and I noticed kids can identify Disney characters more than they can identify a tree in their yard.”
The story centers on the similarities and differences between a woolly bear and monarch caterpillar and was inspired by Wicker’s own experience.
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“One fall a few years ago, I was riding my bike and saw a woolly bear caterpillar. I decided to find out more about their lifestyle and this led me to write the story,” she said. “It’s about two friends, woolly bear and monarch. They both eat leaves and grow, living similar lives. The monarch turns into a butterfly and migrates to Mexico. The woolly bear overwinters as a caterpillar and turns into stay-at-home night-time loving moth. They live different lives, but both turn into flying insects after some time being crawling insects.”
Wicker’s goal as an author is to spread the word about caring for nature. She’ll be sharing her book by having a booth at the upcoming Woollybear Festival in Vermilion, Ohio, on Sunday, Oct. 4. Tale of Two Caterpillars is published by Warren Publishing and is available now.
