The Very Hungry Caterpillar (book)

Imagine being a small, sturdy book with thick pages, just the right size for a child’s hands to hold. My cover is a rainbow of colors, but the most curious thing about me isn't just my bright pictures. It’s the holes. Have you ever seen a book with perfectly round holes eaten right through its pages. It might seem strange, but every single one is part of my adventure. I am The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and my story begins not with words, but with a tiny, white egg resting on a green leaf, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight. That little egg holds a big secret, and it’s waiting for the warm sun to pop it open and begin a grand journey of discovery, one bite at a time. Can you guess what happens next.

My creator was a kind and wonderful man named Eric Carle. He had a special love for nature, colors, and all the little creatures in the world. He didn't just draw me with a pencil or a pen. Oh no, he had a much more magical way of bringing me to life. Eric used a technique called collage. He would take big, thin sheets of tissue paper and paint them with the most brilliant colors you can imagine, swirling reds, blues, and yellows together. Then, with his scissors, he would snip and cut out all the shapes he needed, from my wiggly green body to the delicious foods I would eat on my journey. One day, he was playing with a hole puncher, and it gave him a brilliant idea. What if a bookworm ate through the pages. And that's how I got my famous holes. My story was finally ready, and I was first shared with children everywhere on June 3rd, 1969. On Monday, I ate through one red apple. On Tuesday, two green pears. My pages help you count my snacks and learn the days of the week, all while your fingers can trace my path right through the holes.

My journey is full of munching and crunching, but the most magical part happens after I’ve eaten my way through a long list of treats. After one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon, I get a terrible tummy ache. Can you blame me. Thankfully, munching on one nice green leaf makes me feel much better. After that big feast, I am not a little caterpillar anymore. I am a big, fat caterpillar. Then, it's time for me to do something very important. I build a small house for myself, called a cocoon, and I stay tucked inside for more than two weeks. It might seem like a long, quiet nap, but something incredible is happening. When the time is right, I nibble a hole in the cocoon and push my way out. But I'm not a caterpillar anymore. I have become a beautiful butterfly with big, colorful wings. My transformation shows everyone that change, even when it feels slow or strange, can lead to something truly wonderful and full of hope.

My story didn't end when I became a butterfly. In fact, that’s when my biggest adventure began. From that first book published in 1969, I flew off the pages and traveled all around the globe. My story has been translated into more than 60 languages, from Spanish to Japanese, so children everywhere can follow my journey. For more than fifty years, I have been a special friend to children in their bedrooms, in classrooms, and in libraries. Little hands have turned my pages, poked their fingers through my holes, and whispered the names of the foods I ate. My simple story of growing up, trying new things, and changing has become a friend to millions. I hope my journey from a tiny, hungry caterpillar to a magnificent butterfly always reminds you that everyone, no matter how small they start, has the amazing potential to grow, change, and one day, spread their own beautiful wings and fly.