The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Table of Contents

BookInfo

ISBN: 9780399226908	Number of Pages: 26
Publisher: Philomel Books	Book Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Publication Year: 1994	Target Audience: Juvenile Audience
Author: Eric Carle	Format: Board Book

Abstract

A small egg lay on the leaf in the moonlight
On Sunday morning, after the sun rises, “Bang!” A small and hungry caterpillar crawled out of the egg.
He began to look for food. he ate an apple on Monday, but was still hungry. he ate two pears on Tuesday, but was still hungry. he ate three plums on Wednesday, but was still hungry. he ate four strawberries on Thursday, but was still hungry. He ate five oranges on Friday, but was still hungry. On Saturday, he ate a chocolate cake, an ice cream, a cucumber, a cheese, a ham, a lollipop, a cherry pie, a sausage, a cupcake and a piece of watermelon. That night, the caterpillar had a stomachache.
The next day was Sunday. The caterpillar ate the green leaves and felt much better.
Now, he is not hungry, not a little caterpillar, but a fat and big caterpillar. He built a small house called cocoon and wrapped himself in it. He stayed in it for more than two weeks, bit a small hole and squeezed it out.
The caterpillar turned into a beautiful butterfly.

Awards and Recommendation records
● The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been translated into more than 30 languages, with a worldwide circulation of more than 20 million folios
● American Visual Arts Association Award
● The Book had been selected as “100 kinds of picture books that everyone should know” by the New York Public Library
● In 2001, it was rated as the 20th Best Selling Children’s book of all times by publisher weekly of the United States
● Selected as one of the 100 best children’s books recommended by the National Education Association of the United States
● Selected as “100 books recommended by teachers” by the National Education Association of the United States
● Selected as the 22nd “Good Picture Book” of Japan National School Library agreement
● Selected in “100 selected world picture books” compiled by Japan children’s Writers Association
● Selected in “Picture Book 500 books for children” compiled by Japan children’s Book Research Association / Picture Book Research Department

About the Author

Eric Carle was born in Syracuse, New York on June 25, 1929. His parents are both German. When he was 6 years old, he moved back to Germany with his parents. Eric Carr hated German style education. He dropped out of high school at the age of 16. Under the persuasion of his teacher, he studied visual art in a prestigious art school in Stuttgart for 4 years. During the semester, he drew a series of posters for the US Intelligence Center. After graduation, he worked as an art director in a fashion magazine, but he missed the classroom full of sunshine and free painting in the United States when he was a child so much that he wanted to go back to the United States. Finally, at the age of 23 in 1952, with 40 dollars in his pocket, he returned to New York alone after 17 years of separation. He called Leo Leoni, who was the artistic director of Fortune Magazine at that time and later became famous for his works like Little Blue and Little Yellow and Little Black Fish.

He started to write Picture Books when he was nearly 40. So far, he has created Brown bear, Brown bear, What do you see?, 1, 2, 3 to The Zoo, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider, Papa, Please Get The Moon For Me, and more than 70 colorful collage style Picture Books have been translated into more than 30 languages, little readers are all over the world. In December 2002, his personal art museum – Eric Carr Picture Book Art Museum opened in Massachusetts, which is also the first picture book art museum in the United States.

However, for a long time, his picture books did not get the due evaluation, and he did not even get the Caddick Award, because critics did not like to lower the books to the position of toys. In 2003, in order to make up for this shortcoming, the American Library Association awarded him the Laura Ingel Huairt award, which can also be regarded as a late recognition of the artistry of his works.