Parents' Guide to Love from the Very Hungry Caterpillar

Love from the Very Hungry Caterpillar Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Regan McMahon By Regan McMahon , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 3+

Bright collage art conveys sweet message of love.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 3+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

The very hungry caterpillar eats though fruits, hearts, and cake and squiggles around bugs, birds, stars, and sun as he ticks off the many reasons he loves "you" (the reader), starting with "You are ... so sweet" as he eats through a plump red strawberry and keeps going. After all the colorful examples, he sums things up with "That's why ... I (heart) U" on a final spread where he's coming through the big red heart.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Very young kids and doting parents and grandparents will enjoy reading this sweet little poem of a book. There's not much of a story, and it may be best as a valentine, but if you're a fan of Eric Carle (and who isn't?), you'll be happy to have a new book of his to share with your tot.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about love. Whom do you love, and why?

  • What's your favorite picture in the book?

  • Try making your own animal collage with glue and scraps of pictures from a magazine.

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Love from the Very Hungry Caterpillar Poster Image

What to Read Next

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate