Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis

When I first saw the idea behind this book, I scoffed. 

I mean seriously--someone writes in a made up language to tell about some bugs and a caterpillar or two coming into contact with a spider and then being saved by a hungry bird? Is that even a story? 

Or just nonesense? 

Turns out it is nonsense of the very best kind. High quality nonsense. My kids love this book. Kids at school love this book. Aides and monitors hanging out with kids at school love this book. 

In short, it is a ridiculous masterpiece. 

A caterpillar. 

There are so many details--details kids look at to gain understanding of the plot, the context, and even make sense of the made up language. 

Silly words. 

But they have meaning. If you read them with inflection, almost all kids can get the sense of

What is that?
I don't know.

Hopefully that is really what it means because that is what I read it as. 

Here are our main characters, knocking in Icky's door.  Icky is the friendly, neighborhood pillbug or rollie-pollie. 

One of the delights of reading this is saying made up words. I would say you need to read it through a couple times before it becomes fun. But once you have it, it is a blast! 

A bug--cricket maybe?--playing to the moon on an early summer night.

The villian approaches!

All is lost! Their lovely furt. 

But then, salvation! In the form of a hungry bird. 

Carson Ellis does cozy homes like no one's business. I want to visit the pillbugs house. 

AND the furt. 

And then, in fall, the cocoon begins to open.... 

Oh the magic and wonder!

And then, at the end of the book, we see the same kind of caterpillar saying Ta ta! to us again. 

Maybe it is a cycle. Do you think it will happen all over again? What is a cycle? 

This is such a fun way to introduce kids to the idea of nature being a cycle. 

We all could use a little more silliness in our life!!