One sunny Sunday, the caterpillar was hatched out of a tiny egg. He was very hungry. On Monday, he ate through one apple; on Tuesday, he ate through two pears—and still he was hungry. Strikingly bold, colorful pictures and a simple text in large, clear type tell the story of a hungry little caterpillar's progress through an amazing variety and quantity of foods. Full at last, he made a cocoon around himself and went to sleep, to wake up a few weeks later wonderfully transformed into a butterfly!
Brilliantly innovative designer and artist Eric Carle has dramatized the story of one of Nature's commonest yet loveliest marvels, the metamorphosis of the butterfly, in a picture book to delight as well as instruct the very youngest reader or listener. Cleverly die-cut pages show what the caterpillar ate on successive days, graphically introducing sets of up to 10 objects and also the names of the days of the week in rotation, as well as telling the central story of the transformation of the caterpillar. The final, double-page picture of the butterfly is a joyous explosion of color, a vibrant affirmation of the wonder and beauty of Nature.
The all-time classic picture book, from generation to generation, is sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! Have you shared it with a child or grandchild in your life?
Recommended for ages 2 to 5 years
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar uses distinctive collage illustrations, 'eaten' holes in the pages and simple text with educational themes—counting, the days of the week, foods, and a butterfly's life stages.
- Winner of numerous awards, including an American Institute of Graphic Arts Award (1970). The New York Times has cited it as one of the "Ten Best Picture Books" (1969). The National Education Association named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" (2007). The School Library Journal identified The Very Hungry Caterpillar as the number two children's picture book, behind only Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are (2012).
- 32 pages, hardcover
- Book measures 8.6 x 0.4 x 12.2 inches
- Written and illustrated by: Eric Carle
- Published by: Penguin Random House
- ISBN: 978-0399255564
