For forty years young readers have watched this cuddly caterpillar transform into a beautiful butterfly. A simple story of a just-hatched caterpillar and its quest for food, this book also weaves in lessons about numbers, the days of the week, and the names of various colorful fruits. Toddlers will love looking at the bright colors and helping you to turn the pages of this strong board book, while older preschoolers will be mesmerized when the caterpillar turns into a brilliant butterfly. Lovely painted pictures set against a white background create standout visuals, while those special Carle touches, such as a smiling face painted on the sun and moon, add a kid-friendly element.

Once a child has begun to learn numbers and colors, adults can use this book as a teaching tool. Ask your child to count how many strawberries the caterpillar ate today, or the color of the plums.

This is a story that I remember fondly from my own childhood and I'm glad to see that it's still loved by children today. I took Emily, the three-year-old I babysit, to story time at the library and this was the chosen book. All the kids' faces lit up when they saw the butterfly emerge and several of the kids groaned when they saw how much food the caterpillar ate in one day. They knew he was going to have a tummy ache! The librarian even had a special surprise for the kids: a stuffed animal caterpillar that changed into a butterfly! I wasn't sure I would ever get Emily to say good-bye to the library after that.

--Abby

--Candice Orpesa, Stash Mama