I just can't let Luca beat my 2020 reading challenge by one book

? Bij een voorlichtingssessie voor voorlezers door mijn bieb werd dit boek verschillende keren genoemd. Daarop heb ik het zelf geleend.

Very sweet and meaningful little book.

gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins ACTUALLY

A pretty shallow critique of socialism tbh

My favorite children's book

As a three year old (in Germany, in 1969, and thus in the very same year the book was in fact published), I absolutely adored Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar (or I should rather say that I loved the German version of the book, that I found Die kleine Raupe Nimmersatt absolutely wonderful, and that I have in fact only read the English version but this one time, being today, and as a Kindle download). And if I therefore am mostly rating The Very Hungry Caterpillar with my memories of childhood and my inner child in mind, The Very Hungry Caterpillar is most definitely and always will be a full and glowing five stars for me.

But yes, as an adult, I do indeed and well understand that the main "protagonist" that the very hungry caterpillar is never in any manner textually and narratively developed as a character, that he remains rather flat and one-dimensional throughout, and that he also consumes mostly food products that are not even remotely suitable for caterpillars (as they basically consume mostly leaves). However, I also and absolutely know and realise for a fact that when I was three years old (and had Die kleine Raupe Nimmersatt repeatedly read to me), whether the list of foods the caterpillar was eating was suitable and acceptable for butterfly larvae or not did not matter all that much to me (if at all), and that for the intended audience, both the text and the accompanying images of The Very Hungry Caterpillar are generally pure unadulterated joy, magic, and perhaps even perfection, with the final illustration, the beautiful and intensely coloured butterfly into which the erstwhile very hungry caterpillar morphs, being the ultimate icing on an already most delicious cake (and no food based pun is intended with this here allusion either).

And indeed, I do have so very many fond memories of both my mother and grandmothers repeatedly and always gladly reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to me (in German), with my most special and evocative, precious recollection being my mother's mother taking the time to meticulously and slowly explain to me that caterpillars do not really eat chocolate cake and ice cream cones (that they consume leaves and grass, that chocolate and most of the other foods mentioned in the book would actually and likely make the caterpillars very sick) when I asked if I could feed chocolates to the caterpillars in the garden. So I guess with my remembered and recalled question to my grandmother in mind, I should perhaps offer this small caveat to parents that they might consider also letting their young children know that caterpillars do not and should not consume most of the food products mentioned and depicted in The Very Hungry Caterpillar, lest they are like me and are curiously wondering whether the caterpillar's presented and depicted consumption is realistic (and yes, I really did want to try and feed chocolates and ice cream cones to the caterpillars I had seen in grandmas's garden and was a trifle disappointed at my grandmother's answer to my question).

Read this one at 5am after a breastfeeding session with my very hungry caterpillar. This edition in English and Spanish is wonderful! My partner is Mexican so our baby is going to be bilingual. The level of Spanish in this book is just about right for me as a learner!

This book ate (literally).

Recently I have noticed a spate of Goodreaders (you know who you are K.D), poking around looking for their inner child and enjoying a few kids story books. Personally my inner child has been buried under years of bitter, twisted cynicism and the daily need to verbally abuse engineers and construction workers for exhibiting levels of stupidity that a child of Hungry Caterpillar reading age might find ridiculous. However the tiny squeaking cry of my inner child is still loud enough for me to hear it shouting "The Very Hungry Caterpillar - wow that was a wicked read - remember you used to love that!" And it is a great book with fantastic visually appealing illustrations (42 years old and still loved today) and an educational message.

The dimple-wristed inner demon, er sorry child, was so powerful that I recently spotted and actually purchased (at the behest of said inner demon) a coffee mug with the eponymous Caterpillar illustration emblazoned upon it. When I took it to the counter, the nice lady in John Lewis (popular British Department store loved by old ladies, the middle classes) asked me if I'd like the mug gift wrapped for a child. I said, "don't be ridiculous, it's for me" and hurriedly snatched up my purchase in a protective fashion. Needless to say I've avoided the Home Wares section for a while now.

Now, I've decided to revisit this book as an adult and look at the theme through my cynical adult viewpoint....

The premise of the book is simple, the caterpillar, who is very hungry, eats a lot of nice foods and is eventually rewarded for his epicurean efforts by turning into a "beautiful butterfly". Well done Mr Caterpillar. However, you can't but help, in this day of food obsessed, calorie counting craziness to examine the message that this Lepidopteran feeding frenzy might be sending out. Day one to five - eat a whole bunch of wholesome fruits; one red apple, two green pears, three purple plums. four strawberries and five oranges. If the hungry caterpillar was written today, the caterpillar might find it easier to chug down a bottle of Innocent Smoothie, although this would undoubtedly lead to a shorter book and fewer pleasing illustrations.

After a five day fruit amuse bouche, the caterpillar falls off the fructarian diet wagon and heads out on a Saturday junk food binge: chocolate cake, icecream, pickles, swiss cheese, salami, a lolly-pop, cherry pie, cupcakes and a slice of watermelon which results in a big old stomach ache. The Caterpillar wisely opts for a detox day on Sunday.

As an adult this book holds four key messages:
1. You can only live off fruit for so long, ergo, crash dieting is bad.
2. Binging when in a transition period in ones life is not a good idea.
3. Eating the contents of the fridge and larder will not, in reality ever result in you turning into a beautiful butterfly.
4. Sunday is always detox day no matter what genus of the animal kingdom you occupy.

honestly read this now so that I can add this to my GR (having encountered this title in my youth)
what can I say? the art stood the test of time

RAPACIOUS CONSUMERISM WORKS!

EAT CAKE
BE BEAUTIFUL