The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

A long time favourite of mine, and as it was first published in 1969, I would imagine there are very few children who have not heard this story at some time in their school lives. ~~~~The Story and Illustrations~~~~ The story focuses around a very small caterpillar who on a bright sunny morning pops out of the egg. The picture gives us our first introduction to the caterpillar- exactly as children would imagine a caterpillar to look- green with a little red face, legs and two large antennae. It really is sunny, and we can tell because the sun on this double page spread is bright and glowingly orange/yellow. It’s when the caterpillar ...  Read the complete review

~~~A bit about the author~~~ I have no doubt some people are not interested in this part, but for this author, knowing a bit about him does indeed provide unique insight into his work. Eric Carle himself as quoted as to saying that he tries to bring warmth and feeling to his works, helping to provide information as well as comfort to young children, particularly in his works designed for school use. This is because he views the transition from home to school as "the second childhood trauma", with the first being birth, with both being times where a child who has been nurtured in warmth and caring is thrust into an alien environment they find ...  Read the complete review

I guess that 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' could be classed as a timeless children's classic. It was written by Eric Carle almost forty years ago back in 1969. I enjoyed it when I was little, all my friends' children have enjoyed it, and now it's been a favourite with my little daughters too. The story of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' is a very simple one. It starts off with a tiny egg on a leaf. One sunday morning a tiny little caterpillar popped his way out of the egg and realised he was very hungry! He starts to look for food and every day he gets to eat a little more. He starts eating very healthily and conservatively on Monday when he just eats an apple - ...  Read the complete review

Libraries are wonderful place, extra dimensional if Terry Pratchett is to be believed. The first time I visited a library was in Manchester, It was a large mid Victorian monolith of a place, years of smoke and grime had blackened its sandstone walls making it look very grim and gloomy. I suppose I should have been afraid of it, but for me it was a place of wonder. Inside the smell of brass and wood polish mingled with the dry musty smell you only really ever get when in the presence of a thousand old books. I always ran straight for the children’s section and hunted for the book, if it wasn’t the hungry caterpillar then Dr Seuss would do and there, sat in ...  Read the complete review

~~~ All quotes taken from The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, published by Penguin Books, 1986. Buy it, it's good ~~~ There are a number of colourful books that are staples of every junior school or playgroup, and ?The Very Hungry Caterpillar? by children?s writer and artist Eric Carle is one of the most famous children?s books internationally. It is incredibly simple, quite educational and, most of all, very fun for children. STYLE Carle wrote and illustrated this book, using very short and understandable sentences and ...  Read the complete review