The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The word ‘classic’ certainly springs to mind when talking about this iconic picture book, which has been entertaining young readers for fifty years. Carle’s distinctive collage-style illustrations complement the story of a hungry caterpillar who munches his way through an array of foods over the course of a week before finally emerging as a beautiful butterfly at the end. This story can be enjoyed on so many different levels and appeals to a wide age range as a result. The perforated ‘munch’ holes are perfect for exploratory toddler fingers, while slightly older children are introduced to numbers and counting, the days of the week, and also food types. More competent readers are taught about the lifecycle of a caterpillar – from its inception and growth, to its cocoon phase and finally its transformation into a butterfly. What’s not to love?