The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Outline

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) follows a tiny caterpillar who eats through more and more food each day of the week, from one apple on Monday to a feast on Saturday, before building a cocoon and emerging as a beautiful butterfly. With its bright collage illustrations and pages with holes to explore, Eric Carle’s classic teaches young children about counting, the days of the week, healthy eating, and growth.

• A tiny caterpillar eats a little more food each day of the week, starting with one apple on Monday.
• By Saturday the caterpillar is eating a feast, and the story ends with a cocoon and a butterfly.
• The book gives young children a gentle way to practise counting and learn the days of the week.
• Its bright collage illustrations and pages with holes invite children to explore the book with their hands.
• The caterpillar's change into a butterfly introduces children to growth, patience, and healthy eating.

Eric Carle (1929–2021) was an American author and illustrator known for his colourful collage artwork made from hand-painted tissue paper. He created more than seventy books for young children, which have been translated into dozens of languages. His works include The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider, and The Grouchy Ladybug.