Book Reviews, General Chatter, Kids' Corner

The Very Hungry Caterpillar | 50 Years On


the very hungry caterpillar turns 50

The 3rd of June marked the 50th anniversary of the publication of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. One of our most treasured children’s books of all time, it has been entertaining young readers for five decades, and we’re sure it will continue to for many, many more.

The story has been translated into 65 languages and has sold close to 50 million copies worldwide. A lot has changed over the past 50 years, so it’s incredible that one story about a tiny creature with a big appetite has continued to make such a vast impact on the world.

We wanted to find out what the kids of 2019 think about ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, so we went into a school to ask them!

world of books goes to school

With a pile of Hungry Caterpillars under our arm, we popped down to St Elizabeth Catholic Primary School in East London to meet the kids and get their review of the book. We were greeted by a wonderful group of little people with huge smiles, ready to get reading!

Before we delved into Hungry Caterpillar territory, we gave a short presentation to teach the kids all about World of Books, our values, and what we do.


The kids were pretty impressed to find out that in the last year, we recycled and reused 70 million books, the equivalent in weight to 4200 elephants!

The Kids’ Review

WoB: Do you like ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’? What is your favourite part of the story?

Kayden: I like how he first eats the fruits and then starts eating all the sweets.
Agnes: When he builds his cocoon and turns into a butterfly when he gets too fat!

WoB: Why do you think Eric Carle chose a caterpillar as the character of his story?

Kallie: I think that he chose a caterpillar to show people who feel small and down about themselves that they can still change and become something beautiful like a butterfly.

WoB: If you were a very hungry caterpillar, what would you eat?

Kayden: I would eat chocolate cake.
Agnes: I would eat a whole coconut!

WoB: Apart from ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, what other books do you love to read?

Kallie: I like Roald Dahl and David Walliams.
Toni: I like reading Jaqueline Wilson books and David Walliams too.

WoB: Why do you think children are still reading, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ 50 years on?

Kallie: Because it’s telling you that you can be whoever you want to be and you just have to be patient and go forward and enjoy yourself.

Reading and Colouring

We had fun reading the story as a group. Then had a go at colouring in the character with all his food around him.

A Big Thank You!

The whole gang at World of Books would like to thank St. Elizabeth Catholic Primary School for helping us with our Hungry Caterpillar celebration. A special thanks to the mini bookworms for your Kids’ Review, and we hope you enjoyed your goodie bags!

Shop for Children’s Books

If you would like a copy of Eric Carle’s classic, then buy The Very Hungry Caterpillar here. If you want to explore more of the best children’s books, click here! We sell second-hand books at the most competitive prices to encourage recycling and nurture the love of reading.

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