Celebrate Very Hungry Caterpillar Day

March 20th is the day to celebrate the iconic Very Hungry Caterpillar written and illustrated by Eric Carle. This timeless picture book tells the story of a brand new caterpillar. He eats his way through the days of the week, builds a cocoon, and finally emerges as a beautiful butterfly! Eric Carle has an instantly recognizable illustration style of collage made with hand-painted paper full of bright, bold colors. In honor of Eric Carle and to celebrate Very Hungry Caterpillar Day, I’m going to provide you with some quick and easy resources. Share with your kiddos today (or honestly, any day you want to celebrate!)

Let’s start with a read aloud of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle himself! It’s such a fun book and how exciting to see it read aloud by the author himself! Although Eric Carle passed away a few years ago, his website is full of amazing resources and lots of great details about his life, career, and his books.

Eric Carle Museum

Eric Carle and his wife loved children’s literature so much, they decided to build a museum dedicated to picture books and families. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art opened in 2002 in Amherst, Massachusetts. The Carle, as it is known, houses art from picture artists from around the world, hosts wonderful family programs, and offers graduate level studies for students as well. If you don’t live close to Amherst like me, check out their resources that you can use at home or in your classroom or library.

And finally, what makes celebrating Very Hungry Caterpillar Day easier than an activity kit? You can download this one from Penguin Random House! Filled with loads of activities, coloring sheets, posters, photo props, and more. This is a wonderful resource for families, teachers, and librarians!