The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar begins with a tiny caterpillar hatching from an egg on a Sunday morning. Hungry from the start, he eats through one apple on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, four strawberries on Thursday, and five oranges on Friday. Saturday brings chaos: chocolate cake, ice cream, a pickle, Swiss cheese, salami, a lollipop, cherry pie, sausage, cupcake, and watermelon. That night he has a stomachache. The next Sunday he eats a single green leaf, feels much better, builds a cocoon, and emerges two weeks later as a beautiful butterfly.

Carle's collage illustrations, made from hand-painted tissue paper, give each page a rich, textured look. The book's die-cut holes let little fingers poke through the spots where the caterpillar has eaten. That interactive design, along with the rhythmic counting of foods and days, makes it a natural fit for read-aloud sessions. Carle once said the idea came from a hole-punch he used on a stack of paper, which sparked the concept of a bookworm eating through pages. His editor suggested swapping the worm for a caterpillar, and the rest is history.

Published in 1969 by G. P. Putnam's Sons, the book has sold over 50 million copies worldwide and been translated into 66 languages. It sells roughly one copy every 30 seconds. The School Library Journal praised its simple, rhythmic text and stunning collage art, while The Horn Book called it a masterpiece of design for the very young. In 2012 it topped the School Library Journal's list of the Top 100 Picture Books.

The caterpillar's journey teaches counting, the days of the week, food names, and the butterfly life cycle all at once. It also sneaks in a lesson about moderation after the stomachache. Carle went on to create a whole series of Very books, including The Very Busy Spider and The Very Quiet Cricket, but none matched the cultural reach of this one. The book has inspired museum exhibitions, a stage show, animated adaptations, and even a Google Doodle for its 50th anniversary.[edit]