The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Author and Illustrator: Eric Carle
Type: Picture
Grade Level: Pre-1
Rating:

Out pops a little caterpillar from his egg.  He is very hungry!  The little caterpillar eats through all sorts of food before building himself a cocoon.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic that brings back fond memories of kindergarten for me.  I remember gathering on the circular carpet in from of my teacher as she read us the book.  The artwork was bright and inviting and the holes in the pages made the book interactive.  The text was concise and well-written with subtle humor in it that made me smile at the silly caterpillar.  A pattern is established with the caterpillar increasing its eating as the week continues which makes the story easier to comprehend for the young readers (Tunnel and Jacobs).

The opportunities are endless with teaching this book in class.  You can do a unit on caterpillars to butterflies with discussing their life cycle, correct diet (unlike the one in the book), and then raise butterflies on your own.  You can start of the year with this book and ask the children what food would they like to eat through as a way to get to know them.  Here is a link with lots of great ideas and activities to use with this book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities