A Sneak Peek Inside Eric Carle’s New Book, The Nonsense Show!

Fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar are always hungry for more of author Eric Carle’s vibrant wit and colorful illustrations. Lucky for us, Carle has written a brand new book to spark the imaginations of a new generation of kids. The Nonsense Show is in bookstores today—hooray!—and it’s filled with Carle’s distinctive humor and charm. Can a rabbit magician pull a boy out of a hat? Why is a woman playing tennis with fruit? Tackling the absurd and challenging the imagination, this book is full of silliness and it’s the perfect read aloud for lots of laughs.
We are so excited to share one of our favorite delightful new illustrations from The Nonsense Show. Head to your local B&N and pick up your very own copy today to see the rest!

In the mood for more of Eric Carle’s magic? Below are just a few of our very favorite books from the legendary author:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, written by Bill Martin, Jr.
Carle’s first illustrated book with author Martin served as the starting point for a collaborative series that has delighted young children for decades. Author Martin saw Carle’s illustration of a lobster in an advertisement and immediately wanted to work with him on a children’s book—a partnership that launched Carle’s creative and put millions of his books on bookshelves worldwide. After reading the first book in the series, be sure to pick up Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?, and Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?

1,2,3 to the Zoo: A Counting Book
Carle’s very first picture book is perfect for young children learning to count. Pairing numbers with a trip to the zoo is a fun way to practice both counting, and naming the animals on each page. Be sure to look for the mouse that pops up in every scene.

10 Little Rubber Ducks
The fun continues as Carle takes a bunch of ducks to the water, far beyond the bathtub. Merging counting with biology and geography, readers follow the ten little ducks as they make their way across the globe while adrift in the sea. This wondrous story is based on actual events, when a crate full of bath toys fell off a container ship at sea.

Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me
Equally fantastic as a board book or hardcover, this story is about a father hoping to make his daughter’s dream come true. She wishes for the moon, and throughout the story, the pages unfold and tabs lift to show the lengths the father goes to, and the moon’s ever-changing size. If your child enjoys looking and learning skyward, also consider Draw Me a Star (with instructions from Carle on how to draw a star) and Little Cloud. These books will make your little reader want to dart outside to view the world above, and then zoom back inside to their art supplies to craft their very own collages.

The Very Lonely Firefly
In this book, a lonely firefly searches the night for a group to which he can belong. He meets many other nocturnal creatures, but none of them feel like quite the right fit. Then he finds a group that twinkles in the night and welcomes him home. This book’s real twinkling lights will delight any young reader. Fans can then look to The Very Quiet Cricket, the story of a young cricket who is having trouble making his signature sound, The Very Clumsy Click Beetle, which follows an eager beetle who gets stuck on his little back, and The Very Busy Spider, which features a persistent spider, as well as tactile pages to delight little hands.

The Tiny Seed
One of Carle’s earliest books, this lovely and simple story follows the plant life cycle. As a seed turns into an enormous sunflower and then produces seeds of its own, children will delight in the vivid illustrations. The paperback version even includes detachable seed-embedded paper to plant, so readers can sprout their very own seedlings.

Do You Want to Be My Friend?
Follow the adventure of a lonely little mouse as he searches for a friend. The little mouse encounters many animals and finally at the end, he finds what he’s looking for. Sharp-eyed readers can keep an eye out for the slithering snake on every page.

Pancakes, Pancakes
In a rare departure from the natural world, Carle introduces breakfast to the bookshelf in this charming story. Jack must collect pancake ingredients—including milk, eggs, and flour—for his mother if he wants pancakes for breakfast. As it teaches both patience and how food is made, this book might even get your kids excited to help in the kitchen. Continue with Walter the Baker for a twisty pretzel tale.

The Grouchy Ladybug
Little ones will encounter a range of emotions, including a touch of feistiness and a bit of grouchery in this sweety story, which follows a small yet surly ladybug who is looking for a fight, but instead learns lessons on good manners and cheerfulness. Follow this one up with The Mixed-up Chameleon, The Greedy Python, and The Foolish Tortoise to round out a variety of emotions.

From Head to Toe
A confidence-boosting book that incorporates the skills of listening and paying close attention, this title is great for a small group setting or a story time read aloud. Kids will want to follow the instructions as they perform simple movements and learn about basic body parts. Parents may want to get up and move, too!

Hello, Red Fox
A beautifully illustrated book that swaps colors and challenges the imagination, this title is a great early exploration of color theory. If the opposite of white is black, what is the opposite of blue? Carle explores this in simple terms, and teaches children to think with an artist’s perspective. Readers and creatives will love this one.

Dream Snow
This is a charming holiday story from Carle about a farmer and his animals. One Christmas Eve he falls asleep and dreams of snowflakes, only to awaken and find that the world is in fact covered in a blanket of snow. Acetate overlays and a tune at the end give children a wonderful classic Christmas tale.
What’s your favorite Eric Carle book?