The Very Hungry Caterpillar
My goodness we love this book. Highly recommended. Maybe my little one’s absolute favorite book so far (which I love because I loved this book as a little one too!) We started reading it long before my little one could talk and very shortly after she started to talk, she was reciting pages by memory. I read this with sound effects, like a popping noise when the egg hatches, and because my little one couldn’t talk yet it kept her super entertained.
As a review, I don’t have to say much, this book is very familiar to many. The story is simple, though one not many people might think to tell. The drawings are a bit abstract, as all of Eric Carle’s books are, but they are also realistic enough a one year old will know what they are. They are colorful and entertaining and most versions of this book have holes through the pages that a little one can stick fingers in and feel around, adding another aspect of learning and exploring to the story.
One of the fun things about this book is that there is an educational aspect to it, which includes different foods, counting and even the life cycle of a butterfly - which when my little one was out in the yard before she could talk, she would run (waddle quickly) toward butterflies making the popping noise I made while reading it. Always a plus when you can be entertained and learn at the same time!
Cautions: As a book/story, don’t have any here! I will say though there is a version with a little finger puppet going through the book and, while this may just be child specific, it scared the wits out of my little one when she first saw it. She wouldn’t let me get that version out for a very long time.
