Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 Masterpiece of children's literature April 13, 2005
The Librarian (UK)
40 out of 41 found this review helpful
There can be few books for children that work on so many levels, and are so completely satisfying. I have been a children's librarian for over 30 years, and I can't think of anything to surpass it. The very simple story is just that the caterpillar eats his way through a variety of foods, becoming bigger all the time, until he turnes into a butterfly. The artwork is glorious, in Eric Carle's typical tissue-paper collage, with wonderful jewel-like colours. He has made many picture books, but this one is definitely the best. The pages vary in size, getting gradually larger with the caterpillar, and have holes in to show him chomping his way through the leaves, fruit, chocolate cake and ice cream, so it is interesting and tactile for little ones. It introduces counting (because he eats one plum, two oranges, three pieces of melon, etc), days of the week (one foodstuff per day!) and thus the passage of time, growth and change, the biology of caterpillars and butterflies, and, above all, it's great FUN!! My all-time favourite children's book is "Where the wild things are", but this would run it a close second.
There is no better book for under 7's. Buy it NOW, but buy the proper book, as opposed to the board book, or any other "messed-about version!
5 stars December 13, 2005
Mrs. Bridget M. Foster (uk)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
You know those books that stay in your memory from when you were a child, well i can promise you that this would be one of them. Im 18 now and can remember reading it over and over and would stil enjoy reading it today. Its a simple yet brilliant childrens book. The illustrations are beautiful and can talk about them for hours. I would say this is one of the best childrens books of the century as it includes comic and amusing pictures for all ages to enjoy, "the hungry caterpilar" would definitely be read more than once. Although it wouldn't appear as a modern day book, children today would still love it as much as i did.
A book that needs no formal introduction January 28, 2008
Amazon Reviewer
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
due to its popularity with nursery and primary school-children.
In a nutshell, it is about a newly hatched, tiny caterpillar who munches his way through a variety of foods, becoming bigger and bigger, until he isn't hungry anymore and is a big, fat caterpillar!
From the back cover:-
'A much-loved classic, `The Very Hungry Caterpillar' has won over millions of readers with its vivid and colourful collage illustrations and its deceptively simple, hopeful story.
With its die-cut pages and finger-sized holes to explore, this is a richly satisfying book for children.'
Large paperback with 28 high quality pages, in the popular 2-page spread format.
Bold, easy to follow text,repetitive in places.
Stunning illustrations, complete with holes to emphasise the hunger, introducing days of the week, fruits and a simple number game through what he eats when!
Example of text:-
'On Monday he ate through one apple.
But he was still hungry.
On Tuesday he ate through two pears, but he was still hungry.
On Wednesday he ate though three plums, but he was still hungry.
On Thursday he ate through four strawberries, but he was still hungry.......'
On Saturday, he eats so much he has a stomachache....but puts it right on Sunday, when he only nibbles through a nice green leaf!
Then he builds a cocoon and stays inside for over two weeks.............and an amazing thing happens!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar January 12, 2008
Mehajabeen Farid (Coventry)
20 out of 21 found this review helpful
Who are the main characters? Who is your favourite character and why?
The main character is the caterpillar. My favourite character is the butterfly because she is very pretty and she is what the caterpillar turned into.
What is the basic plot of the book and how does it develop?
The plot of the book is that the caterpillar is on a leaf as soon as it is born and it eats the leaf. Then it ate other things like ice cream, pie and lots of fruit. It turns into a cocoon and then it turned into a butterfly.
How would you describe the atmosphere of the book?
It is a very simple and lovely book.
What was the most exciting moment in the book?
When the caterpillar goes into a cocoon and doesn't come out for a while is the most exciting part.
What were the best and worst things about this book?
The worst thing is that there aren't many characters and the best is that each day he eats more and more for a week.
Did this book change the way you thought or felt about anything?
The book taught me how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly.
Who do you think would like this book?
I think children around 4 - 6 would like this book.
Pure Brilliance October 8, 2004
Karl (Stewartby, Bedfordshire United Kingdom)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Every generation has it's classics -- Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Clarke and now Carle!This gripping tale of a youthful caterpillar's trials to become a butterfly has so many parallels with our own growth, it's incredible.
Never before has one man taken something so simple as a leaf being eaten and given it such emotion "but the hungry caterpillar was still hungry".
I read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" first when I was just 3 months old; and now, at 43 I am still finding new levels of story within this novella. Buy it, you won't regret it.
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![The Very Hungry Caterpillar [Board Book]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415zAVZ9TiL._SL160_.jpg)
