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Jennifer D., 5 Minutes for Books editor and 5M4M contributor, here to share some nostalgia and offer a special giveaway. This is part of a sponsored campaign, and I received samples as well, but as always, my opinions are my own.
When my children were toddlers and preschoolers, board books were a staple in our home. I am still inexplicably drawn to them, and they are my go-to gifts for new babies and first birthdays (and 2nd and 3rd for that matter). The sturdiness and smaller size of board books means that they are totally safe for little hands. I always kept some in the car and in their cribs as well as in baskets around the house.
I love Eric Carle’s artistic style. I think the bright colors and the textures are so eye-catching, to children and adults. The text is generally repetitious, but in a great way — pleasing and familiar to children and not annoying to the adults reading and re-reading. But my absolutely most favorite part? The actual holes that the caterpillar chews through the things he eats. I can’t resist putting my fingers right on the perfect missing circle, nor could my children.
There are a handful of books that I remember sharing with my children and actively await sharing with my grandchildren. Eric Carle’s books are definitely in that category, so I’m so proud to help celebrate the 45th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
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 this book is sold.
Eric Carle 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 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.
Enter to win
I am happy to be able to offer a very special 45th anniversary edition of the book which comes with a CD of the story read by Eric Carle himself! You will also receive a limited edition tote.
Follow the instructions in the widget to enter. Start off by leaving a comment telling me your favorite Eric Carle book.
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Tami H says
Definitely Brown Bear! My preschoolers love this book so much. They can read it themselves now. We just made our own version of Brown Bear into a class book. They love looking at their own page.
This is a wonderful prize pack!
Donna L says
My favorite is The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Michele C says
The very Hungry Caterpillar is my favorite.
Donna Kellogg says
The Very Busy Spider
Terri Moore says
Next to the very hungry caterpillar my favorite Eric Carle book is Brown Bear, Brown bear what do you see? The kids love his books and I like the bright colors and rhymes.
Rebekah {McMama} says
I See a Song is my favorite.
ioana c. says
the very hungry caterpillar is my favorite
Joshua Johnson says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is and always will be my favorite.
susan smoaks says
our favorite is The Very Hungry Caterpillar because we love it and it’s a classic. i am tony l smoaks on rafflecopter.
Cheryl Reinhardt says
The Very Busy Spider
Melanie Comello says
I love the Eric Carle’s ABC book! I love the illustrations in this book
sandra manning says
Very busy spider
Stephanie says
My favorite would be Brown bear, brown bear. His books have the best graphics!
Melanie Bahr says
Brown Bear Brown Bear has been a family favorite for years!
Kathy Pease says
I like the very busy spider 🙂
Kayla Malik says
I like Brown Bear a whole lot.
cassandra says
I like the Grouchy ladybug
Michelle C says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I can remember turning the pages as a child.
Gianna says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Carolyn Daley says
My favorite is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Deborah Peck says
the grouchy ladybug is great.
AEKZ2 says
Brown Bear, Brown Bear is my favorite
Savannah says
My favorite Eric Carle book is The Very Busy Spider, but I also love The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Thank you for the giveaway!
Diana B says
I always like sticking my fingers in the hold of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
April Brenay says
My favorite is the Hungry Caterpillar
Jessica Holmes says
I love The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Grouchy Ladybug.
Rachel H. says
The Very Hungry Catepillar is my favourite, but they’re all so good!
Jodie R. says
My favorite is Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
Charlene says
My fave is Have You Seen My Cat?
Tricha says
Brown Bear Brown Bear
brittney says
The Very Lonely Firefly
Jaime Cummings says
The Secret Birthday Message is my fave!
Brenda Elsner says
I love the Hungry Caterpillar.
Candie L says
I loved the Very Busy Spider. Thankyou
Leanne G says
Our favorite is definitely “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”.
Nancy Meyer says
I love The Grouchy Ladybug! His artwork was so fabulous!
Lisa P. says
The Grouchy Ladybug
Nannypanpan says
Entered cat in the hat
Nannypanpan says
I think it’s title is 10 little ducks..it has a squeak sound effect
Beth C says
We’ve always liked Brown Bear Brown Bear.
Jen says
I love the very quiet cricket
Debra Hall says
my favorite is the tiny seed
danielle hall says
i like brown bear brown bear
leah wall says
I like Pancakes, Pancakes 🙂
brittany says
I like brown bear brown bear. its so much fun to read with the kids
Kelly Brown says
Love the goodie, Brown Bear, Brown Bear
liz l says
The Very Busy Spider.
amy f says
the grouchy ladybug
Linda G. says
Our favorite is The Very Busy Spider book.
Wayne Hamilton says
I like The Very Busy Spider.
Rebecca Williams says
We love Brown Bear Brown Bear.
Rachel Coleman says
This one! The very hungry caterpillar.
Mihaela Day says
My favorite is The Very Busy Spider 🙂
Jennifer Thorson ( says
Very Hungry Caterpillar is my favorite. Both of my boys loved it and I read it daily for years, with silly sound effects and lots of giggling.
McKim says
I like Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?
Hillary says
I like Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
Tari Lawson says
I like Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
Cynthia C says
I like The Grouchy Ladybug.
Kareema says
My favorite book is Very Hungry Caterpillar. I love the graphics.
nickie says
Brown Bear, Brown bear
Emily R. says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is my absolute favorite! I really enjoy all his books!
Rosanne says
We have the Grouchy LadyBug and enjoy it
Xty Cruz says
Our favorite is the The Very Busy Spider
Lee Mckoen says
Very hungry caterpiller for sure!
Serena Powell says
Definitely the Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Liz says
The Very Busy Spider
Heidi says
I love The Grouchy Ladybug!
Sadie B. says
Our favorite is the Grouchy Ladybug.
anita says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar has always been my favorite
Melissa Weatherford says
We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar every night when my son was a baby..he would join in at the end of each page with “still hungry” It was one of his absolute favorite books!
allyson becker says
Brown Bear, Brown Bear is the best.
Linda Meyers-Gabbard says
My favorite is “From Head To Toe”
K. Finn says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar…it is just so cute!
Jen H says
my son loves brown bear and the pancake book!
Rochel S says
Love the Very Hungry Caterpillar!
Jamie Brigham says
The very hungry caterpillar! I have loved it since I was a young kid.
Renee Smith says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is my absolute favorite.
Ellen says
I love the Brown Bear books (all versions), but my son loves Very Hungry Caterpillar the most!
ashley cossette says
i always loved brown bear brown bear! we actually read it at story time today at my local library!
S.K. McDonald says
I love all of his books! As it is hard to pick just one! Brown Bear, Brown Bear is a book my son loved and it helped him to notice what is around him and what he sees! I love the Hungry Caterpillar and all the fun activities we have done to go along with it! Being an artist I love all the colors in his books and so do my kids! It is so hard to pick just one book when they are all so wonderful and have taught us all so much!! :o)
Michelle Griffin says
The Very Hungry Caterpiller
Meg says
Brown Bear, Brown Bear is the favorite
Ale says
The Very hungry caterpillar
gina says
the tiny seed
Mila Cornell says
My grandchildren’s favorite is Pancakes, Pancakes!
Robin Nyzio says
Very Hungry Caterpillar is my favorite Carle title. So great for reading aloud!
Brenda says
I’ve been collection Eric Carle books for my daughter since she was little, giving them to her at Christmas and on birthdays. She’s 21 now and I’m still on the lookout for new books or older ones I’ve missed. I don’t think I can choose a favorite, but The Art of Eric Carle is a great look at the artist and his wonderful art work!
Jennifer says
Very Hungry Caterpillar- but I’m a teacher, so I love them all!
Annette W {This Simple Home} says
This one is my favorite to read aloud.
Christy Denton says
1, 2, 3 to the Zoo is my favorite Eric Carl book, other than the Hungry Caterpillar, of course. My favorite will ALWAYS be the Hungry Caterpillar.
Janet W. says
My favorite is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
D Schmidt says
I really like The Very Busy Spider
mrsshukra says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is our favorite Eric Carle book for sure!
Terra Heck says
My favorite is ‘What’s For Lunch?’. Thanks.
Payal says
We like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
Terry Maigi says
Our favorite has always been The Very Hungry Caterpillar!
Katrina says
so hard to pick a fav but I do love brown bear, brown bear.
Wehaf says
I love “Polar Bear, Polar Bear”.
Jessica says
I like the Brown Bear, Brown Bear book.
Cassandra Eastman says
We love the Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
Tracey says
My favorite to read to my children is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?
Carly D. says
Brown Bear, Brown Bear is my favorite, a childhood favorite!
Nancy says
I entered The Secret of Magic giveaway.
Nancy says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is my favorite book and I also like Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?
Annmarie W. says
I love The Grouchy Ladybug!
Tammy H says
I like Very Busy Spider
Pamela j says
I entered the secret of magic book giveaway.
Pamela j says
The grouchy ladybug has been a fav here.
Wendi S says
I like reading Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear.
Amy Z. says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is my favorite!
staceyk says
My favorite is the Hungry Caterpillar
Teresa Thompson says
The very hungry caterpillar.
Rob says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is such a fantastic children’s book – it’s one of the most memorable for me. I can’t believe it’s been 45 years!
I can only hope to have this kind of acclaim someday – I’ve recently created a new series of travel books for kids to teach them about different countries and cultures – check them out at http://www.my-first-trip.com if you’re interested. Thanks!
Anita Yancey says
My favorite is The Very Busy Spider. Thanks for having the giveaway.
Patricia says
I think the Grouchy Ladybug is my favorite. (But it’s so hard to pick just one.)
DarcyO says
Brown Bear, Brown Bear is my favorite Carle book.
Mary W says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar has a special place in my heart.
Bin says
I love Mister Seahorse!
Kristen says
Do You Want to Be My Friend?
Sarah says
I absolutely love Eric Carle and grew up with THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR as a regular on my nightstand. I love the illustrations most of all! Reading it always makes me hungry…
Michelle says
I think we own nearly all of his books, but The Very Hungry Caterpillar continues to be a favourite both for students and for my own children.
Pat Stuart says
I love The Very Hungry Caterpillar and read it to many preschoolers each spring.
Monique L.S. says
I like The Very Busy Spider.
Vickie Couturier says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar board book
Jennifer M says
My favourite is The Very Hungry Caterpillar for sure! My sons are 15 YEARS apart and my first son loved it and so does my 2.5 year old! It is timeless.
Idaho Jill says
I know brown bear brown bear by heart, as I’m sure lots of people do, so that would be my favorite.
Cynthia R says
My all time favorite is brown bear brown bear
Brittany says
The very hungry caterpillar is my favorite, but they are all good.
Heather B says
It is a toss up between this one and Brown Bear Brown Bear
Barbara Platt says
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Katherine says
This one is my favorite but I also like the Grouchy Ladybug
Alvina Castro says
My favorite book is brown bear brown bear but I also very much so Love The very Hungry caterpillar!
danielle says
Brown bear, brown bear is my favorite!
Amyc says
Brown bear, brown bear is my fave
Carrie says
Currently my favorite is The Very Lonely Firefly.
Tanya says
My favorite is “papa, please get the moon for me” Love it!
Wendy Rozema says
Brown Bear, Brown bear is my favorite!
anne says
The Very Busy Spider.
latanya says
I like Brown Bear, Brown Bear