THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

THE VERY HUNGRY

CATERPILLARby Eric Carle

The Early Life of Eric Carle

• Born in Syracuse NY in 1929• Moved with family to Germany in 1935• Graduated from Akademie der bildenden

Künste, a prestigious art school.• Returned to the New York in 1952 with a

portfolio and 40 dollars.• Bill Martin Jr. liked a red lobster that Carle

had done in an advertisement and asked him to illustrate a story he had written.

The birth of a book

• Carle was playing and punching holes into a stack of paper when he thought, “ This could've been done by a bookworm.” 1

• Carle intended to write a book about Willie the Worm, but on the advise of his editor changed his character to a caterpillar. 2

1 http://www.edupaperback.org/showauth2.cfm?authid=20

2 http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000019602,00.html

His best known work

• Translated into more than 30 languages

• Sold over 22 million copies 3

• A copy is sold every 57 seconds. 4

• Uses 225 words and bold colors.

3 http://www.eric-carle.com/bio.html

4 http://www.tuff-teach.com/pcs//archive/index.php/t-8675.html

Awards

Received by The Very Hungry Caterpillar• New York Times Ten Best Picture Books of the Year

citation, 1969. • American Institute of Graphic Arts award, 1970. • Best Children's Books of England citation, 1970. • Selection du Grand Prix des Treize, France, 1972. • Brooklyn Museum Art Books for Children citation,

1973, 1976, 1977. • Nakamori Reader's Prize, Japan, 1975.

http://www.lib.uconn.edu/online/research/speclib/ASC/findaids/Carle/MSS20000092.html

The art of Eric Carle

A short 3 minute Audio Slideshow narrated by Eric Carle.

• http://www.npr.org/programs/watc/features/2007/jul/ericcarle_slideshow/index.html

A closer look

• Line – horizontal pictures throughout

• Space – only one page has a background

• Color – bright and appealing to children

• Shape – rounded

• Text – easy to read

Questions for Discussion

Given the popularity of this book and the critical acclaim it has received, why didn’t it receive the 1970 Caldecott Award which was awarded to Sylvester and the Magic Pebble?

Questions for Discussion

Does the commercialization

of a book diminish from its

literary worth?

Bibliography Beneduce, Ann. “Eric Carle." The Horn Book July/August 2003. 08 September 2007 <http://www.hbook.com/magazine/articles/2003/jul03_beneduce.asp>.

This was an indepth look at Eric Carle’s life by his longtime friend. The information was interesting and gave me an even greater appreciation of his work.

Carle, Eric. “Eric Carle.” 08 September 2007. <http://www.eric-carle.com/home.html>.

The author’s website. Carle’s site offers biographical notes, book lists, and answers to frequently asked questions. The FAQ section offers insight into many aspects of the book process.

Casciani, Dominic. “Counting on the Caterpillar”. BBC News. 26 July 2005. 08 September 2007. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4717503.stm>.

This article reviews the books and curriculum tie-ins with additional comments by readers of the book. It confirmed my opinion that this book is extremely well loved.

Elliott, Debbie. “Eric Carle’s Colorful World of Children’s Books." NPR. Ed. Danny Sullivan. 8 September 2007. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11889867>.

On the Audio Slideshow available on this site Eric Carle explains his ideas on color and creation. I felt that I came to understand his thinking and literary choices.

Hastings, Wally. “Molly Bang’s Theory of How Pictures Work.” 08 September 2007. <http://www.northern.edu/hastingsw/mbang.htm>.

A helpful guideline that explains Molly Bang’s theory of picture books.