Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep. Die-cut pages illustrate what the caterpillar ate on successive days.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar comes the first-ever pop-up edition of this book. When the familiar, tiny caterpillar pops out of his egg, a dial lets readers help him chug across Carle's earthy color palette. Next, the caterpillar eats his way through a week's worth of pop-up fruit, as well as a full-page display of sweet and savory treats, (resulting in a stomach-ache), before his eventual transition into a butterfly. The pop-ups, particularly a half-cylinder tree trunk that sprouts from the center of the spread and a large accordionlike cocoon, are well executed and engaging. While the prominent use of white space lends a sparser feel than in the picture book, the shimmering wings of the pop-up butterfly dazzle on the final spread. Ages 3-up. (Mar.)
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He began as a designer of promotions and ads, and one illustration of a red lobster helped jump-start his career. The lobster caught the eye of author Bill Martin, Jr.; Martin asked Carle to illustrate the now-classic 1967 title Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and a career was born.
Born in Syracuse, New York but brought by his immigrant parents back to Germany when he was six, Carle was educated in Stuttgart and designed posters for the United States Information Center there after graduating from art school. He finally returned to the country he missed so much as a child in 1952.
He eventually began procuring work on children's titles, and found himself becoming increasingly involved in them. "I felt something of my own past stirring in me," he wrote in a 2000 essay. "An unresolved part of my own education needed reworking, and I began to make books -- books for myself, books for the child in me, books I had yearned for. I became my own teacher -- but this time an understanding one."
He began his career with the 1968 title 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo; but his next title, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is what still endears him to young readers today. Employing his bright, collage style and lending an immediacy to the tale by manifesting the caterpillar's hunger in actual holes in the pages, Carle began what would be a long career of creative approaches to simple stories. From the chirp emerging from The Very Quiet Cricket to the delightful fold-out pages in Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me, Carle's books provide surprises that make his stories come alive in ways that many titles for preschoolers do not.
Carle's style, with its diaphanous, busy and bold artwork, is perfect for engaging new readers. His stories are also popular with parents and educators for their introductions to the natural world and its cycles. It's a particular pleasure to follow Carle into different corners of the world and see what can be learned from the creatures who live in them.
Carle was unhappy to be in Germany when his immigrant parents brought him back there as a child. He hated his new school and wanted to go back to America. He said: "When it became apparent that we would not return, I decided that I would become a bridge builder. I would build a bridge from Germany to America and take my beloved German grandmother by the hand across the wide ocean."
Before he became a freelance illustrator and began working on children's books, Carle worked as a graphic designer for the New York Times and as art director of an ad agency.
One Sunday morning the warm sun came up and-pop!-out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.
He started to look for some food.
On Monday he ate through one apple. But he was still hungry.
He started to look for some food.
On Tuesday he ate through two pears, but he was still hungry.
He started to look for some food.
On Wednesday he ate through three plums, but he was still hungry.
He started to look for some food.
On Thursday he ate through four strawberries, but he was still hungry.
On Friday he ate through five oranges, but he was still hungry.
On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon.
That night he had a stomachache!
The next day was Sunday again. The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf, and after that he felt much better.
Now he wasn't hungry any more-and he wasn't a little caterpillar any more. He was a big, fat caterpillar.
He built a small house, called a cocoon, around himself. He stayed inside for more than two weeks. Then he nibbled a hole in the cocoon, pushedhis way out and ...
he was a beautiful butterfly!
Continues...
Excerpted from The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle Copyright ©1986 by Eric Carle. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Anonymous
Posted Mon Oct 26 00:00:00 EDT 2009
I purchased this for my nephew on his 2nd Birthday and he loves it! However, I would not purchase the small board book next time, it is difficult to turn the small flaps for the fruits in the smaller book, but he absolutly loves it! He counts the fruit, names the foods and finds the caterpillar, it is very interactive for him and he wants to read the 'caplar book' at bedtime all the time!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sat Apr 24 00:00:00 EDT 2010
I am a Family Child Care Home Provider, and my students age range at the time I read the book were 5 months, 2 years and 3 years old. To start the book is so bright and colorful that we all were delighted just looking at the pictures. My 5 month old just gazed at the pictures and wanted to touch them. Kudos to the author and illustrator Eric Carle for such an engaging book. My book included a free CD of Eric Carle reading the story, that was such a treat for the children and myself. I can use this book for many of my lesson plans, for example for eartth day I use the illustrations of the dirt, trees, fruit and the caterpillar. Another lesson I use all the colors and shapes. I recommend this book to all, it is such a great story full of interactive lessons that engages all with it's colorful educational story line. This is truly one of the classics, I am happy that I added it to my classroom library.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Mar 28 00:00:00 EDT 2010
What fun to buy my son the book that had been my favorite as a child! He enjoys sticking his fingers in the little holes, although the smaller version of the book only allows small fingers in there. Still a fun book for kids and adults alike. Good pictures, lots of colors, and not too many words.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Oct 26 00:00:00 EDT 2008
I Also Recommend:
This book is a great book to get kids started in reading.<BR/>It shows a very simple beginning, simple content, and a simple<BR/>ending. Also Eric Carle is a world famous children's illustrator.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Nov 20 00:00:00 EST 2001
Before actually having my daughter, now 14 mo., my husband got me a copy of the book signed by the author because he knew how much I loved it. It was one of the best presents he ever got me. Now being a mom, I can't wait to share it with my daughter. Her favorite book so far is Brown bear, brown bear
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri May 18 00:00:00 EDT 2001
I love this book, and so does my 8-month old son. In addition to the clever format (with holes for the caterpillar - or tiny fingers), the book has mini-lessons embedded throughout - such as counting, days of the week, different fruits, not to mention a whole slew of info about caterpillars: hatched from an egg, builds cocoon, becomes butterfly...all this in a colorful, easy-to-read, rhyming baby book! I know we will enjoy this book into toddlerhood and beyond!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu May 02 00:00:00 EDT 2013
This review is from K-152 kindergarten class:
We really liked the part where the caterpillar ate too much food. We really liked the part where he turned into a butterfly because of the beautiful colors. We liked when he got fat because it made us laugh. We found a mistake in the book; moths come out of cocoons not butterflies. We liked the part where the butterfly hatched out of the egg because he was so tiny. Children will like this story because it is funny and because the pictures are cool and pretty.
Anonymous
Posted Tue Apr 23 00:00:00 EDT 2013
First grand baby coming
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Posted Tue Apr 16 00:00:00 EDT 2013
i love this book i read it in like first grade and loved it ever since
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Posted Wed Jan 23 00:00:00 EST 2013
WARNING: THIS IS THE MINI BOOK. TOO SMALL TO READ. I'LL BE EXCHANGING THIS FOR THE REGULAR SIZE WHICH IS WHAT I THOUGHT I WAS PURCHASING FOR $5.75.
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Posted Fri Dec 28 00:00:00 EST 2012
We love the story of the Hungry Caterpiller; however, the size of this book was too small. I could hardly read the print. I'm going to exchange it for a larger version.
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Posted Wed Dec 12 00:00:00 EST 2012
This was a fabulous book although my first grade students thought that it was more for toddlers.
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Posted Thu Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2012
Love it. Bought it for my grand children because it was one of our daughter's favorite books
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Posted Fri Nov 02 00:00:00 EDT 2012
This book is perfect for a toddler! She loves the colors and it is witty and sweet and she can't get enough of counting the fruits in the book.
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Posted Fri Oct 12 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Your child will learn the days of the week and counting as this funny caterpillar chews holes through every page and there's a beautiful surprise at the end of the book!
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Posted Fri Sep 14 00:00:00 EDT 2012
This delightful story is deservedly a classic, but this version of the book disappoints. The pages are so small that it is impossible to share this book with a toddler. Be sure to check the dimensions before you waste your money!
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Posted Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2012
We received the book in 3 days as promised but was disappointed to find that it was in less than "good" condition. It was very old, you could tell by the smell and look of the book. The condition should have been listed as Poor or Fair. There was also rips in the first six pages and some water stains as well. I will not be buying from this seller again.
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Posted Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2012
This book is a classic, and I was very excited to get a personal copy when my preschoolers were studying Life Cycles with their science teacher. We already had a classroom copy, and lucky we did, because the copy I received was far too small. :( It may be suitable as a personal gift for a toddler, but as has been said, the pages seem to be hard to turn due to the small size (even though it is a board book).
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Posted Thu Jan 05 00:00:00 EST 2012
Ideal story for small children.
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Posted Tue Dec 06 00:00:00 EST 2011
This picture book is about a caterpillar who eats so much he gets too full.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep. Die-cut pages illustrate what the caterpillar ate on successive days.