Katy loves to dance and she loves when spring begins to blossom! So when a spring recital is announced, what could be better? But then it turns out Katy is cast in the recital as a caterpillar, and she's unhappy not to be chosen as a swan, a flower, or anything else more exciting than a squirming caterpillar. How will Katy make it through the recital?

This is a sweet book with a simple lesson that is laid out without being didactic or preachy. Katy must learn to manage her expectations and make what she perceives as a negative turn into something positive, which she is ultimately able to do.

The writing style is pretty straightforward and therefore easily accessible to young readers, but it has a poetic flair to it as well. The illustrations are beautifully colorful and capture the grace of dance movements quite well. They are also excellent at displaying the various emotions of the characters as the story develops.

All in all, this is a delightful little tale sure to please young readers while helping them learn to cope with strong emotions. ( )

Katy the Duck is so cute! I love the illustrations of Katy she reminds me of myself a little too much. I like how she ends up being a caterpillar and clearly doesn't want to do the part. At the rectal she then plays a caterpillar and then leaps out and becomes a butterfly.

I like this story because Katy expects to get something and when does not and gets something else, she is disappointed. In the end, she makes it into a positive.