The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Difference between revisions
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==Development== |
==Development== |
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The original title of the book was to have been ''A Week with Willi Worm'', featuring a [[bookworm]] named Willi. However, Carle's editor advised that a green worm would not make a very likable protagonist.{{Fact|date=September 2008}} |
The original title of the book was to have been ''A Week with Willi Worm'', featuring a [[bookworm]] named Willi. However, Carle's editor advised that a green worm by the name of zeeshans mum she would go around sucking all men off and eating there pubs!would not make a very likable protagonist.{{Fact|date=September 2008}} |
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==Reception== |
==Reception== |
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Revision as of 14:29, 20 March 2009
 Front cover illustration | |
| Author | Eric Carle |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Eric Carle |
| Cover artist | Eric Carle |
| Genre | Children's picture book |
Publication date | 1969 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Hardback |
| Pages | 32 |
| ISBN | 0-399-22690-7 |
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a children's book written by Eric Carle, originally published in 1969. It is highly popular and has been praised for its use of easy-to-read words which makes it good for teaching young children to read. The book contains 225 words and large, colorful illustrations. It follows a caterpillar as it munches its way through a variety of edibles (representing a human rather than true caterpillar diet) such as ice cream, salami, watermelon, one slice of Swiss cheese, and a lollipop before it finally pupates and emerges as a butterfly. The story teaches the life cycle of a butterfly, counting to 5, the names of the days of the week, and about different types of food. It is one of the best-selling books of all time with over 25 million copies in print.[1]
Development
The original title of the book was to have been A Week with Willi Worm, featuring a bookworm named Willi. However, Carle's editor advised that a green worm by the name of zeeshans mum she would go around sucking all men off and eating there pubs!would not make a very likable protagonist.[citation needed]
Reception
The book placed at number 199 in the Big Read, a 2003 poll conducted by the BBC to determine the United Kingdom's best loved books. It was one of the very few picture books to place.[2]
In a 1999 survey George W. Bush listed the book among his favorite books from his childhood. This caused some controversy among media commentators since Bush was twenty-three when the book was first published.[3][4] Bush has also chosen the book to read to elementary school classes.[5]
Awards
The book has won numerous awards from a variety of publications, libraries, parenting groups including a citation from The New York Times as one of the Ten Best Picture Books of the Year in 1969, an American Institute of Graphics Arts Award in 1970, the Selection du Grand Prix des Treize in France in 1972 and a Nakamori Reader's Prize in Japan in 1975.[6]
On March 20th 2009 Google celebrated 40th 6year anniversary with an animated google in the same style
Adaptations
The story has been translated into over 50 languages and it was featured on Sesame Street in the early 1990s. It was also adapted for television in 1993 by the U.K.'s Illuminated Film Company (producers of The Snowman) as part of an anthology called "The World of Eric Carle" that included four other Carle stories, namely: The Very Quiet Cricket, The Mixed Up Chameleon, Papa, Please Get The Moon For Me, and I See A Song. Narration on the UK DVD of the programmes entitled "The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other stories" is performed by Roger McGough and Juliet Stevenson, whilst - in the U.S. Walt Disney distributed version - the voices used are those of Brian Cummings and Linda Gary. The programmes were directed by Andrew Goff.
Although a theatrical film has not yet been produced there are rumors of the film rights having been sold for £1 million (over $1 million).[7]
Notes
- Anita Silvey, 100 Best Books for Children, ISBN 0-618-27889-3
- BBC Radio 4, A Good Read, broadcast 8 February 2005
- Google, Front Page "Holiday Logo" celebrating the First Day of Spring, 20 March 2009
The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Stories
- Date: December 31, 1995
- Studios: Walt Disney Productions
Walt Disney Home Video (1996 VHS only)
Walt Disney Home Entertainment (2006 DVD, Disney Favorite Stories) - Runtime: 30 mins.
References
- ^ The Very Hungry Birthday (ages 3-5) at Bayside Library
- ^ "The Big Read". BBC. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ Bush Gets (Green) Egg on His Face Over Reading List
- ^ Pundits were clucking about Bush's childhood books. As usual, the pundits were wrong
- ^ Floridian: Maybe it's fear of flying
- ^ "Eric Carle collection". University Libraries - Information courtesy of the Gale Group. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ BBC NEWS | Magazine | Counting on the Caterpillar
External links
- "Counting on the Caterpillar" at BBC News, 26 July 2005.
- Eric Carle personal website - Information for teachers and readers.
- The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art - Museum Founded by Eric Carle in 2001 to celebrate the art of the picture book.
- Wiki-page collecting publications in different languages
- This one's got legs - interview of Eric Carle by Emma Brockes in The Guardian newspaper 14 March 2009