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The Very Hungry Caterpillar

by Eric Carle

Interest age: 2 to 5

Published by Puffin, 1994

  • Classics
  • Picture books

About this book

When a tiny caterpillar hatches from an egg, the first thing on his mind is food - so off he crawls looking for something to eat.

Over the course of a week, the tiny caterpillar munches his way through all sorts of delicious goodies. Starting with an apple on Monday and working his way through pears, plums, strawberries and oranges by Friday, he leaves a small, caterpillar-shaped hole in each fruit to show where he’s been.

But by Saturday, the caterpillar is still hungry; so he gorges on everything from chocolate cake to salami until finally he is not only full but has a tummy ache! And then the most amazing thing happens, as the caterpillar is transformed into a beautiful butterfly.

This classic picture book with bright, collage-style illustrations has been enjoyed by generations of children for over 50 years and has lost none of its appeal. Little fingers will love to follow the tiny caterpillar through the holes he leaves and to anticipate what he’s going to eat next as the page size increases with his appetite.

And with opportunities to learn colours, numbers and days of the week, this is certainly one of the best picture books ever.

About the author

Eric Carle has illustrated more than seventy books, and more than 88 million copies of his books have sold around the world.

He is one of the best-known and loved of picture book creators. His work is immediately recognisable through his vibrant use of colour and tissue-paper collage. Eric Carle's most famous book is, of course, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

In the mid 1960s, Carle decided to give up a successful career in advertising to become an illustrator and graphic designer. His first published work appeared in a cookery book. Soon afterwards, children's book author Bill Martin asked him to illustrate the manuscript of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? The resulting book was an instant hit. Encouraged by this success, Carle began submitting ideas for his own books. One of these was Willie The Worm. His editor suggested that a caterpillar might prove a more endearing character - the rest is history.

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