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Do you know the hidden creation story behind "The Hungry Caterpillar"? The wonderful transformation from earthworm to caterpillar!
Since its publication in 1969, "The Hungry Caterpillar" has been deeply loved by children and parents and has become a classic. This picture book created by American writer and illustrator Eric Carle tells the story of how a gluttonous caterpillar hatches from an egg and devours various foods before turning into a beautiful butterfly. The story line and illustrations in the book not only attract children, but also incorporate basic concepts of mathematics, days of the week, food, and even the life cycle of butterflies, making this book an important resource for early childhood education.
The book has sold more than 50 million copies, been translated into more than 60 languages, won multiple awards, and been adapted into a television series.
Story introduction
The story begins one Sunday morning, when a small, very greedy caterpillar hatches from an egg and immediately begins looking for food. Over the next five days, the caterpillar eats a different amount of fruit each day: one apple on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three prunes on Wednesday, four strawberries on Thursday, and five oranges on Friday. However, the caterpillar is still hungry. By Saturday, he had eaten a variety of treats including chocolate cake, ice cream, pickles, Swiss cheese, Italian sausage, lollipops, cherry pie, sausage, cup cakes and watermelon, causing him stomach pains at night. The following Sunday, he ate a green leaf and finally soothed his stomachache. By this time, he had turned into a "big fat worm", so he began to build his own cocoon and stayed in it for more than two weeks. Then he drilled a hole, pushed open the cocoon, and transformed into a colorful butterfly.
Creative background
The Hungry Caterpillar is the third book illustrated by Eric Carle and the second he wrote himself. This story originally originated from a story called "A Week with Willy the Worm", which tells the adventure story of Willy, a bookworm. Carl's inspiration came from a moment when he was using a hole punch, which reminded him of a bug. Editor Ann Benedous suggested using a caterpillar as the main character because bookworms are not easily lovable to children. Carl was inspired by the variously shaped books he read as a child in Germany and decided to leave holes in the pages to make the traces of caterpillars "eating" more vivid.
This book is famous for its unique collage art style. The pages have the shape of holes where caterpillars have "eaten", adding a sense of fun and interactivity.
Publication and response
"The Hungry Caterpillar" was first published in 1969 by World Publishing Company. Due to high printing costs in the United States, some pages required punching, so they were printed in Japan. Today, this book is published by Mercedes-Benz Random Room, and the copyright has been taken over since 2019. Since its initial release, sales of the book have continued to rise, with one copy sold every thirty seconds. The book has also been translated into Arabic, Dutch, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Russian and Hebrew, among other languages.
Awards and Social Impact
The book has won many awards since its publication, including the 1970 American Graphic Arts Society Award, the British Best Children's Book Award, etc. It was also selected by the New York Times as one of the ten best picture books of 1969. In 2003, the book was ranked 199th on the list of best-loved books in the UK. With different studies and surveys, the book's status has remained unchanged and has been included in schools' recommended reading lists.
Education and Activities
This book incorporates core educational concepts such as math, days of the week, food, and the life cycle of butterflies, and transfers knowledge to children in a subtle way. In schools and libraries, teachers and librarians often use this book to design interactive teaching activities to help children learn in fun. Through reading, children can perceive words, and this predictability also provides good opportunities for language practice.
Cultural Impact
The Hungry Caterpillar was not only a popular children's book, it became a cultural phenomenon. For example, Mrs. Barbara Bush used this book in her literacy campaign. In addition, the book also serves as a topic of multiple conversations and discussions, and participates in such a rich cultural mix that it affects readers of all ages.
Conclusion
"The Hungry Caterpillar" has attracted generations of children with its unique story and vivid illustrations. Behind this book, there is more meaning about growth and change. Such works are not only representatives of children's literature, but also allow us to reflect on whether the transformation process of magpie is the same as our life journey. What inspiration do you think this book gives us?
