Common Sense Note
Children love the colorful pictures that accompany the counting game story. They delight in turning the flaps and poking their fingers through the caterpillar holes.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Maria Strom
Eric Carle takes the concept of metamorphosis and presents it in a way that young children can understand. He draws his audience in with an adorable caterpillar that eats everything, including cupcakes and lollipops. What kid can't relate to the caterpillar's plight--indulging in favorite foods and getting a stomachache?
The next day the caterpillar models moderation by "eating one nice green leaf, and after that he felt much better." Kids enjoy seeing the little caterpillar become a fat caterpillar and then climb into his cocoon. For the finale he changes into a beautiful butterfly!
Carle's unique mixed-media collages burst from the pages with broad brushstrokes and bright colors. The vivid butterfly spans two pages--purple, blue, red, green and yellow make up his richly textured wings. The caterpillar's friendly expression adds to the book's overall warmth and charm.
A counting lesson is included; the foods are presented in number sets (one apple, two pears ... up to five oranges). The holes in the foods that the caterpillar has munched on draw little fingers into them, adding another kid-appealing dimension to this well thought-out book.
For more science fun try Carle's The Very Busy Spider and The Very Quiet Cricket. Sara Anderson also illustrates in cut-paper in Some of My Best Friends Are Polka Dot Pigs.
From The Book
One Saturday morning the warm sun came up and--pop!--out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.
Plot Summary:
As the newborn caterpillar snacks through the pages (leaving behind a hole to stick a little finger through), he gets bigger, fatter, and turns into a lovely butterfly with wings the color of Swiss cheese, oranges, and cherry pie! Carle brings humor to the development of the caterpillar, one of the first science miracles a child learns.
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