Celebrate Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar"

40 years of hunger and beauty

Hannah Tennant-Moore writes for Australia’s Babble.com that on the 40th anniversary of Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” we should celebrate the joy and innocence of childhood. In the story, eating is a joyful experience, free from the worries of waistline and whether a payday loan will be necessary to stock the fridge with that much food.

Carle himself had other worries when he was young.

Carle was born to German immigrants in New York. When he turned six, he moved to Germany with his family because his mother was homesick. Unfortunately, World War II was raging and Hitler was firmly in power. Strict discipline and the threat of bombing made a living nightmare out of what should have been a happy childhood.

Out of the past it comes

Eric’s father was physically able to fight, so the Nazis conscripted him for the war effort. This left young Eric and his mother to spend much of their time hiding in the family bomb shelter. Once the war was over, Carle’s father was shipped to a work camp. Two years later, he returned home a changed, broken man.

Out of chaos and struggle, Eric Carle dreamed of the America he knew as a little boy. An aspiring artist, he prepared for the journey and eventually made it back to the United States in 1952 to pursue his destiny. In tribute to his love for America, Carle made a career of creating unique children’s books that reflect his personal view of the American dream. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Celebrate Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar""