The dance of the caterpillars

How fortunate we are that Caroline decided to retrieve The Dance of the Caterpillars from its 1980's hiding place in the filing cabinet. How grateful we are that Fisher called to her. How thankful we are that we are able to receive the message of hope across the decades from this very special fourth-grader in our world of increasing disconnectedness from ourselves and each other and from our rightful place in the natural world.

Fisher reminds us there is some Fisher in all of us: a longing to belong. The Dance takes me to the space between The Wizard of Oz and Where the Wild Things Are, a step closer to the journey home, the journey to the undivided life. Fisher makes me think of a slightly older version of Max from Wild Things, growing up in a deforming world, yet still able to hold onto to that birthright ability to see, to hear, to connect. Fisher reminds me that I still have that birthright, too, and it's not too late for me to notice and nurture the magic and the mystery, inside and out. Fisher's voice reads like poetry, and I find myself letting go of learned restraints as I get caught up in The Dance.

Caroline writes of The Dance that it is her sweetest of her books... This one will be cherished by readers of all ages.