Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Eric Carle
Novelty Book
Penguin, 1994   ISBN: 978-0399226908

There is a full moon in the night sky, and on a moonlit leaf on a tree there is a small white egg. One Sunday morning - after the sun comes up - the egg breaks open and a little and very hungry caterpillar emerges. The caterpillar starts looking for food straight away. On Monday, the caterpillar eats through an apple. One Tuesday he eats through two pears. On Wednesday, he ploughs his way through three plums. Day after day, he eats his way through strawberries, oranges and a wide variety of other foods. By the end of the day on Saturday, the caterpillar is feeling a little unwell in the tummy department. What is all this eating for?

In this delightful novelty book, Eric Carle combines his signature multimedia art with a wonderful story that has a thoroughly satisfying ending. Children not only learn about the ways of caterpillars, but they also get to explore numbers and colors, and they will certainly enjoy exploring a book that has die cut holes through the pages.