One morning, forty years ago today, the warm sun came up and--pop!--there emerged a very tiny, and very hungry caterpillar. The little creature has been munching away for four decades, and today, the first day of spring, is appropriately being internationally celebrated as the Very Hungry Caterpillar Day, with festivities going throughout the weekend. (Check out what events might be happening near you here.)
The caterpillar, of course, was the work of a young illustrator named Eric Carle, who today is a household name along with the likes of Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, published by Philomel Books, represents one of the most prominent events in the development of novelty books over the past two hundred years. As Carle’s websitetells us, it has since been translated into forty-seven languages (for fun try naming thirty languages and you’ll see how impressive that number is) and sold over 29 million copies. USA Today tells us that it continues to sell 650,000 copies a year, not bad for a little book with 224 words.
The work’s familiar enough I’ll forego a full appreciate here. Although I’m certain I’d seen it earlier, my own first memory of the book is of sitting in the waiting room of my orthodontist, when I was significantly older than the book’s intended audience, but it still elicited quite a bit of happiness and joy as I fiddled through its pages, jamming my fingers in the holes and examining the different-sized leafs. I bought a copy of the board book version a full year before Loretta was born, knowing full well that the book had better be around from day one. It’s been battered and thoroughly slobbered upon, but it’s still front and center on her top bookshelf.
As mentioned there are lots of events throughout the weekend to celebrate, with some more things happening throughout the year; New Englanders will particularly want to check out the Carle Museum in Amherst. There is also a new pop-up book that caught my eye, a nice tactile adaptation of what was always a tactile book. Here's a video review of it from newbaby.com (notice the little girl's shirt):
The caterpillar, of course, was the work of a young illustrator named Eric Carle, who today is a household name along with the likes of Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, published by Philomel Books, represents one of the most prominent events in the development of novelty books over the past two hundred years. As Carle’s website
The work’s familiar enough I’ll forego a full appreciate here. Although I’m certain I’d seen it earlier, my own first memory of the book is of sitting in the waiting room of my orthodontist, when I was significantly older than the book’s intended audience, but it still elicited quite a bit of happiness and joy as I fiddled through its pages, jamming my fingers in the holes and examining the different-sized leafs. I bought a copy of the board book version a full year before Loretta was born, knowing full well that the book had better be around from day one. It’s been battered and thoroughly slobbered upon, but it’s still front and center on her top bookshelf.
There are lots of articles and blogs out there commemorating the occasion; just give it a google and lots of things pop up. Speaking of which, as you’ve probably noticed, even Google itself changed its typeface today, to a design apparently created by Carle himself:
YouTube has a trove of films about the book, and here's one of my favorites (since I'm into works produced by children), by the kids at the Coppermill Primary School near my old stomping ground in North London.
YouTube has a trove of films about the book, and here's one of my favorites (since I'm into works produced by children), by the kids at the Coppermill Primary School near my old stomping ground in North London.
There’s also a film on Carle’s website in which he discusses the genesis of the book.
Carle has sadly retired from the picture book business, but his legacy is enormous. To create one book the stature of his works would be an incredible accomplishment, but to do it over forty times is nothing short of astounding. So happy birthday, Caterpillar, and thanks, Eric Carle, for all the books, pictures, and memories.
Carle has sadly retired from the picture book business, but his legacy is enormous. To create one book the stature of his works would be an incredible accomplishment, but to do it over forty times is nothing short of astounding. So happy birthday, Caterpillar, and thanks, Eric Carle, for all the books, pictures, and memories.
No comments:
Post a Comment