978-15 03 95 06

978-1477826300

10

AC T I V I T Y K I T

T HE DISAPPEARING CAT ERPILLAR

T HE LUNCHNAPPER

Written by Rick DeDonato

Illustrated by Tracy Bishop

IPSIE LOVES EVERYTHING WILDfrom dragonflies, to oceans, to tall, tall trees. She
also loves solving mysteries. Thats why shes a nature detective!
In The Disappearing Caterpillar, Pipsie and her turtle, Alfred, notice
that their new friend Frannie the caterpillar has vanished. Where can
she be? In The Lunchnapper, Pipsie and Alfreds lunch disappears
when the two are on a nature scavenger hunt. These mysteries are
soon history with Pipsie on the case!
Kids will love learning about science when Pipsie searches
for clues. Use the activities in this kit to engage young nature
detectives in discovering the wonders of our natural world.

Continue the fun at www.PipsieNatureDetective.com!

My Nature Notebook

Pipsie, Nature Detective ACTIVITY KIT Illustrations copyright 2015, 2016 by Tracy Bishop. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

My
Nature
Notebook

Pipsie has a nature notebook where she can jot down interesting nature facts and keep track
of clues. Make your own nature notebook! Sketch flowers and trees and identify them. Make
leaf rubbings. Can you find a caterpillar like Frannie to draw?
Cut out the rectangles below and stack the pages with the cover on top. Staple along the
center line to bind into a mini notebook.

Butterfly Life Cycle

In T he Disappearing Caterpillar, Pipsie and Alfred learn all about Frannies
transformation from a caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly. Can you draw
pictures of the different stages in Frannies life cycle?

EGG

CATERPILLAR

BUTTERFLY

CHRYSALIS

Pipsie, Nature Detective ACTIVITY KIT Illustrations copyright 2015 by Tracy Bishop. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

Nature Scavenger Hunt

In T he Lunchnapper, Ranger Nancy sends Pipsie and Alfred and their friends on a scavenger
hunt to find the Seven Wonders of Nature. With Mom or Dads help, can you find the
following items in a nearby park or nature preserve? Draw a picture of each one as you find it.

An animals home

Animal tracks

Something crawling

Something swimming

A sign that an animal was here

Something flying

Your favorite wonder

Pipsie, Nature Detective ACTIVITY KIT Illustrations copyright 2016 by Tracy Bishop. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

Animal Fun Facts

Cut out the Fun Fact cards below and amaze your friends with all you know about animals!

Earthworms dont have

lungs. They breathe
through their skin.

Animal Fun Fact

The porcupine has thousands of

sharp quills on its

back that protect it

from enemies.

Animal Fun Fact

Beavers build dome-like

homes, called lodges,
using branches
and mud.

Animal Fun Fact

Some kinds
of woodpeckers
have tongues up to
4 inches long.

Most deer are

herbivorous, which
means they eat
only plants.

Animal Fun Fact

Animal Fun Fact

Crows are very

smart. They can
use and make tools.

Animal Fun Fact

Beavers slap their
tails against the
water to warn
of danger.

Baby porcupines
are called
porcupettes.

Animal Fun Fact

Animal Fun Fact

Wildlife insight by Jason Davis, wildlife biologist

Pipsie, Nature Detective ACTIVITY KIT Illustrations copyright 2016 by Tracy Bishop. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

Maze
In T he Disappearing Caterpillar, w hen Frannie goes missing, Pipsie and Alfred put on their
nature detective hats and search for clues. T he man at the zoo explains that Frannie has
turned into a chrysalis and will soon transform into a butterfly. Can you help Pipsie and Alfred
find Frannies chrysalis and then lead them to the new Frannie?

Pipsie, Nature Detective ACTIVITY KIT Illustrations copyright 2015 by Tracy Bishop. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

Word Search
Can you find the animals found in T he Lunchnapper hidden in the letters below? Words can
appear forward, backward, and diagonally. Put a check mark next to each animal in the word
list when you find it in the puzzle.

P K I W U T R H E R
V O T O U P S Z E H
G C R R R I I K B J
Q G T C Z C C K E V
C L O M U E B B A S
E Z C P P P O I V L
R E E D P R I C E G
G R O H F A P N R Z
X O U D E G H I E T
W E A R T H W O R M
WORD LIST
BEAVER
CROW
DEER

EARTHWORM
PORCUPINE
T URTLE
WOODPECKER

Pipsie, Nature Detective ACTIVITY KIT Illustrations copyright 2016 by Tracy Bishop. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

Monarch Butterfly Fun Facts

Cut out the Fun Fact cards below and amaze your friends with all you know about butterflies!

In only two weeks, a

baby monarch
caterpillar grows several
thousand times its size.

The female butterfly

is larger than
the male butterfly.

Monarch Fun Fact

Most caterpillars eat a variety

of plant leaves, but monarch
caterpillars eat only milkweed
leaves to grow.

Monarch Fun Fact

Milkweed can be
poisonous to other
insects and birds,
but not to monarchs.

Monarch Fun Fact

Monarch Fun Fact

Eating milkweed protects

monarchs.
It makes them
taste bad to birds!

Caterpillars love to eat!

Theyll even
eat the shell
they hatch from.

Monarch Fun Fact

Monarch Fun Fact

Caterpillars grow so fast that

their skin gets too tight. They
shed their skin five times
so they can keep growing.
Monarch Fun Fact

Butterflies taste with

their feet. When they
land on a flower,
they can tell it if
it will be good to eat.
Monarch Fun Fact

Insect insight by Jess King, entomologist

Pipsie, Nature Detective ACTIVITY KIT Illustrations copyright 2015 by Tracy Bishop. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

Pencil Toppers

T his
mystery
is
history!

T his
mystery
is
history!

Im a
NATURE
Detective!

Im a
NATURE
Detective!

Pipsie and friends want to decorate your pencils! Cut on the solid lines, including the lines under
each image and the opening at the top. Fold each pencil topper at the dotted line so you have
two sides to your toppers. Put the eraser of your pencil through the opening at the top, and
wrap the bottom tabs around your pencil. Tape to secure.

Pipsie, Nature Detective ACTIVITY KIT Illustrations copyright 2016 by Tracy Bishop. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.

o k w o rm

a bo
Im

Bookmark

Badge
Cut out this badge and tape a loop
of yarn to the back side so you
can wear it. Or cut it out and tape it
to your notebook, cap, or lunch box!

I m a
n at u
re

A S K M d e te c ti v
e!
E AB O
UT

BUG

Im a nature detective!

ASK ME ABOUT

ANIMALS
The Disappearing Caterpillar
The Lunchnapper
Rick DeDonato Tracy Bishop
Pipsie, Nature Detective ACTIVITY KIT Illustrations copyright 2015, 2016 by Tracy Bishop. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for free distribution.
Pipsie, Nature Detective: T he Disappearing Caterpillar and Pipsie, Nature Detective: T he Lunchnapper by Rick DeDonato, illustrated by Tracy Bishop, published by Two Lions