THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR by Eric Carle

We cannot pass by Eric Carle's birthday without adding his wonderful book The Very Hungry Caterpillar to our post collection. Carle's delightful caterpillar story introduces children to the metamorphosis process and the days of the week in such a fun way that kids don't even realize it's happening. They're too busy following the greedy little guy as he munches on his food in preparation for his miraculous change. Be forewarned that The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a gateway book to Eric Carle Bookland in which you may never return. Illustrating seventy books and authoring most of them, Carle's books are gems of stories wrapped around some type of information that kids don't even realize they're consuming.

Let's talk about Carle's recognizable artwork. Created by lots of painted, textured papers cut and collaged together into such enjoyable illustrations, you can recognize a Carle book in an instant. Typically brightly colored and very engaging, taking an extra moment to study the pictures is well worth the time.

ALONGSIDE ACTIVITIES - Love butterflies? This is a perfect opportunity to take a look at some close up! My kids used to spend summer days with butterfly nets in hand chasing down these winged wonders. Plant flowers in your yard that butterflies enjoy such the butterfly bush, coneflowers, hollyhocks, cosmos, zinneas, etc. They tend to be attracted to bright colors. Don't have the room? Try setting out fruit in sunny areas. Sliced oranges, melons, rotting bananas, etc are favorites. Track down milkweed and carefully watch the process of the monarch butterfly. Be very respectful not to knock eggs or caterpillars off the plants. Be aware not to trample the plants. Monarchs and milkweed are disappearing, and there is a movement to increase their numbers. Need butterfly book resources? I share a few of our favorites in another post. Just type "butterfly" in the search bar and it will pull up! Happy hunting!