"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is a classic children's picture book written and illustrated by Eric Carle, first published in 1969. The story follows a tiny caterpillar who hatches from an egg and is very hungry. Over the course of a week, he eats through increasing amounts of different fruits each day—one apple on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, four strawberries on Thursday, and five oranges on Friday. Despite all this, he remains hungry. On Saturday, the caterpillar indulges in a variety of foods including chocolate cake, an ice-cream cone, a pickle, Swiss cheese, salami, a lollipop, cherry pie, a sausage, a cupcake, and watermelon. This overeating gives him a stomach ache. The next day, Sunday, he eats a green leaf which makes him feel better. Having grown big and fat, the caterpillar then builds a cocoon around himself and stays inside for more than two weeks. Finally, he emerges as a beautiful, colorful butterfly. The book incorporates educational themes such as counting, the days of the week, and introduction to different foods. It is celebrated for its innovative collage artwork and has sold over 50 million copies worldwide, translated into more than 60 languages. The story also beautifully illustrates the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly, which captures the imagination of young children and educates them about nature.
