The Very Hungry Caterpillar (book)

Before you even know my name, you can feel me. Your fingers find little holes that go right through my pages! I am filled with the brightest colors you can imagine—juicy reds, leafy greens, and sunny yellows. I whisper a story about a tiny, hungry friend who is just starting a big adventure. When you first see me, you might notice a little green caterpillar crawling across my cover, with a big, happy smile on his face. He is ready to eat, and I am ready to share his story with you. I am the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and our adventure is about to begin.

My story and my pictures were brought to life by a kind man named Eric Carle. He was an artist who loved bright colors. He didn't just use crayons or markers to create me. Instead, he painted beautiful, swirly patterns on thin tissue paper. He made green splatters, red swooshes, and yellow dots. When the papers were dry, he used scissors to snip and cut them into all the shapes he needed for my story. He cut out a round red apple, a sweet green pear, and of course, my little green caterpillar. He carefully glued these pieces together to create my pictures. This special way of making art is called a collage. The idea for my story popped into his head one day when he was using a hole puncher. Punch. Punch. Punch. The little holes made him think of a bookworm eating through pages. But then he thought a caterpillar was much more fun and could turn into something beautiful. I was finally ready for the world on June 3rd, 1969, filled with his colorful art and a wonderful story about growing up.

When children open me, we go on a journey together, one day at a time. On Monday, my little caterpillar is very hungry, so he eats through one red apple. Munch. On Tuesday, he eats through two green pears. Munch, munch. We count our way through the whole week, munching on plums, strawberries, and oranges. Kids love to poke their little fingers through the holes the caterpillar leaves behind in each piece of fruit. But oh no, on Saturday he eats so much he gets a tummy ache. My story isn't just about food. It's about a magical change, which is a big word that means turning into something new. After eating one nice green leaf on Sunday, my caterpillar isn't little anymore. He snuggles into a cozy chrysalis, which is like a sleeping bag for a caterpillar. Children hold their breath as they turn the final, big page, and… surprise! He is no longer a caterpillar but a beautiful, colorful butterfly, spreading his wings across two whole pages.

For many years, children all over the world have followed my caterpillar's journey. My pages have been read in so many different languages, but the feeling is always the same: wonder. I show everyone that big changes can be beautiful and that even the smallest creature can grow up to be something magnificent. When you close my cover, I hope you remember that we are all like my little caterpillar. We are all growing and changing every single day, getting ready to spread our own wings and fly.