Monday, February 24, 2014

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR 45th ANNIVERSARY By Eric Carle


 I'm so thrilled to be apart of THE VERY HUNGRY's CATERPILLAR's 45th ANNIVERSARY celebration! 
Why are fans still "hungry" for this classic 45 years later? 

It's hard to believe that this book has been around for so long. I still remember when I first fell in love with Eric Carle's books. I was either in kindergarten or first grade. I know, it's sad that I can't remember which one. I remember having his books read to us, and then discussing them. After which we did an art project based on the book we read. Eric Carle's books were some of the first books I remember having read to me, and I later enjoyed reading them on my own, and to my younger siblings. 

I vividly remember reading about The Very Hungry Caterpillar in class. It was the first time I had ever heard of this book. I was fascinated by this story about a cute little green caterpillar. He started out so small too. I remember admiring him for not being scared to go out on his own to look for food, and wondering where his mom and dad were. Once the cute little green caterpillar found food, he couldn't stop eating it. He ate everything. I remember thinking it was so gross that he ate some of the food he did. haha. Then of course the end was always my favorite when we turns into the butterfly.

It's funny how you forget about certain books as you grow up. It wasn't until I become a parent, and was on a quest to look for books I loved having as a child, did I pick this book back up again. Those same feelings from so many years ago came back to me the first time I read this with my kids. Like so many copies of beloved children's books, this book has seen better days, but it's not one I can part with. As my children grow, I'm sure this will sit on the shelf until they have children. Or maybe it's one that one day they'll be browsing over the book case and will find this beloved copy of a book we read so many times, and sit down and look through. Smiling at all the memories this little caterpillar gave. 

When I think that what makes us so hungry for this classic, I think it's the fact we want to pass on books that meant something to us as a child, onto our children, and to those who have grandchildren, to them, and so on. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic that continues to be passed on from generation to generation. As long as we're hungry for this story, and want to share classics with our children, this, like many other books, will continue to find more fans, both young and old.



About the anniversary
2014 marks the 45th anniversary of Eric Carle’s pre-school classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The anniversary will be officially celebrated on the annual “Very Hungry Caterpillar Day” which takes place every year on the first day of spring (March 20th).

Since its publication in 1969, 36 million copies of the book have sold worldwide and it has been published in 55 languages. That year the book was also named one of the best children’s books of the year by The New York Times, and it has since become a beloved, must-own classic. Today, every 30 seconds, somewhere in the world, a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar is sold. 

Official Links
To find out more about the book, please visit the Official Site.

You can also join the celebration by tweeting using the hashtag ##veryhungrycaterpillar
Also be sure to follow @PenguinKids on Twitter, check out the The World of Eric Carle Facebook page & the Penguin Kids Facebook page. 


Eric Carle (www.eric-carle.com) is acclaimed and beloved as the creator of brilliantly illustrated and innovatively designed picture books for very young children. He has illustrated more than seventy books, many best sellers, and more than 100 million copies of his books have sold around the world. In 2002, Eric and his wife Barbara opened The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (www.carlemuseum.org) in Amherst, MA, a 40,000 square foot space dedicated to inspiring a love of art among children by introducing them to picture book art by renowned artists from around the world.

The Giveaway!
Celebrate Very Hungry Caterpillar day by sharing this wonderful tale with a friend!
One (1) winner receives:
·          Two limited edition anniversary totes
·          Two copies of The Very Hungry Caterpillar board book (1 to keep, 1 to share)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

- Prizing courtesy of Penguin
- Giveaway open to US mailing addresses only
- You must be 17 & older to enter, under is required to have a parent/guardian's permission before entering

GOOD LUCK!
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~