Vonn, a furry caterpillar, is far from home when he finds a comfortable place to rest for the night. That place happens to be right under the nose of a boy called Michael. Before long, Michael is awake and amazed at seeing a “mustache” on his face. As both boy and caterpillar go about their day, enjoying the attention of family and friends, Vonn knows that their relationship is short-lived. As he sneaks away in the night, the little caterpillar has second thoughts about leaving his role as Michael’s facial hair. Can he make it back to his friend in time?
Traci Strahlendorf takes a funny moment with her son and turns it into a heartwarming tale about a boy becoming friends with an insect. It’s a bold choice to depict a child getting a creepy crawly on their face, but this will fascinate children interested in the natural world. Michael’s reaction to Vonn when he discovers that his mustache is actually a caterpillar will be helpful for parents and caregivers who are trying to help their little ones overcome their fear of insects and other small critters. The book also offers important lessons in accepting unusual friendships and not shying away from looking or feeling different. Strahlendorf’s offering might also be a good resource for adults trying to demystify changes that preteens experience as they grow older.
MICHAEL AND THE WALKING TALKING MUSTACHE charms with its Studio Ghibliesque illustrations, and children will enjoy looking at images from Vonn’s eye level. Nevertheless, the author includes no information on how they have been sourced. It is also important to frame stories about children handling insects with some facts about doing so safely. Not all fuzzy insects should be touched, let alone put on one’s face, and the book would have been greatly improved if the author had added a section with some facts to distinguish insects that can be played with from ones that should be left alone.
The ending of the book might also confuse children who are not yet familiar with insect life cycles. A separate section on this, or perhaps a part of the story where a teacher or parent discusses the same with Michael, would help make the last few pages more intelligible.
Traci Strahlendorf’s MICHAEL AND THE WALKING TALKING MUSTACHE is a silly book about a boy and the caterpillar who decides to hitch a ride on his upper lip. This will intrigue kids who enjoy tales off the beaten track.
~Sakina Hassan for IndieReader