Read an Excerpt

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Philomel Books

Chapter One

One Sunday morning the warm sun came up and-pop!-out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.

He started to look for some food.

On Monday he ate through one apple. But he was still hungry.

He started to look for some food.

On Tuesday he ate through two pears, but he was still hungry.

He started to look for some food.

On Wednesday he ate through three plums, but he was still hungry.

He started to look for some food.

On Thursday he ate through four strawberries, but he was still hungry.

On Friday he ate through five oranges, but he was still hungry.

On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon.

That night he had a stomachache!

The next day was Sunday again. The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf, and after that he felt much better.

Now he wasn't hungry any more-and he wasn't a little caterpillar any more. He was a big, fat caterpillar.

He built a small house, called a cocoon, around himself. He stayed inside for more than two weeks. Then he nibbled a hole in the cocoon, pushedhis way out and ...

he was a beautiful butterfly!

Continues...

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Excerpted from The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle Copyright ©1986 by Eric Carle. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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