Posted on by TracyC · 4 Comments

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, 1969.

A small caterpillar hatches out of an egg and is very hungry. Each day, the caterpillar goes out looking for food, finding different things to eat.

Part of the book is a counting story, as the caterpillar eats different numbers of different types of fruit in different numbers. The format of this part of the book is really interesting because each of those pages isn’t a whole page but sections of pages that are different sizes, showing how the amount that the caterpillar eats increases each day.

Also, there are real holes in the pages to show where the caterpillar ate through different types of food. Kids like books with interesting physical features that encourage them to interact with the book as a toy as well as a story. I think that’s part of what has caused this book to have lasting appeal.

The book does also have a story to it about the growth and development of the caterpillar along with the counting part. At the end of the part that counts the number of pieces of fruit the caterpillar eats, the caterpillar eats a bunch of random junk foods and gives himself a stomachache. Eating a green leaf makes him feel better. By this point, the caterpillar is a fat caterpillar who is no longer hungry. At the end of the book, the caterpillar makes a cocoon and turns into a butterfly.

This is a cute picture book that is fun to show to very young children. The counting element is good both for teaching young children and for the children who have already learned to count because they can predict what the caterpillar is going to do next. The unusual format of those pages with the holes also makes the book distinctive.

On the 50th anniversary of the book in 2019, the BBC produced an article about the book’s history and its appeal to generations of young readers.

The book is available to borrow for free online through Internet Archive.

Posted on by TracyC

Ten Little Rabbits

Ten Little Rabbits by Virginia Grossman and Sylvia Long, 1991.

This picture book is loosely based on the Ten Little Indians counting rhyme, but with a twist. Instead of “Ten Little Indians,” it’s ten little rabbits. The rabbits in the pictures are dressed in traditional costumes from different Native American tribes. Also, unlike in some versions of the Ten Little Indians rhyme, none of the characters are eliminated during the course of the rhyme. The rhyme simply counts upward from one to ten.

The pictures are beautiful and detailed, and they do a good job of showing the rabbits in the poses of humans.

The book intentionally shows the rabbits acting out aspects of traditional Native American culture. Very young children might not fully appreciate what the book is trying to depict, but there is a special section in the back that explains which tribes the rabbits are supposed to belong to and what they are doing in the pictures.

The book is available to borrow and read for free online through Internet Archive.