I was delighted when the Abracadabra School for Creative Kids in Dublin contacted me about reviewing the newest educational set in their online store. The Abracadabra School hosts shows and events that promote the uniqueness, creativity, and imagination of every child. Their new set, The Caterpillar Story, by Eric Lassard, is right in line with their concept.
The Caterpillar Story family set contains one storybook, CD and four timber caterpillar tokens. The book is about a boy who finds a caterpillar and puts him in a jar. The caterpillar goes into a cocoon and eventually becomes a butterfly. The takeaway message from the book is that chance can be challenging, scary and often requires patience.
The CD begins with dance music then moves on to author, Eric Lassard, reading the story. He reads a few pages then they sing The Caterpillar Song, then back to reading some more, and so on. It’s nice for kids to hear the story read by the 11-year-old author. I am very impressed with Eric for writing the book and reading the story at such a young age. He wrote his first book at 8 years old and enjoys public speaking. He’s the co-founder, with his mother, of the Abracadabra School. Eric has a new project, ZetHub, where he’s encouraging other children’s entrepreneurial spirits. He seems like an extremely motivated and positive young man.
The four caterpillar tokens are very cute. They are made from timber and can be customed with Twistables, paints or markers (not included in the set). You can send the Abracadabra School the story or picture of your decorated Caterpillar. This is my 8-year old’s caterpillar.
My favorite part of the set is the letter that comes with the token. It explains the importance of the token, and how it’s more than a toy. After personalizing the token, the child can hold it and imagine it helping in stressful situations. It reminds me a little of worry dolls, which I found helpful as a child. I think a lof of children would benefit from the advice in the letter. And, by holding the token, breathing deeply and relaxing.
My children enjoyed hearing the Caterpillar story and decorating the token. They understood and appreciated the messages. My 2-year-old daughter also enjoyed the box – taking the packaging in and out provided lots of entertainment for her!
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