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Overzealous Book Report: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
(Fun fact: when my oldest was first reading this book he pronounced the author’s name as Urlich Krill.)
On its surface this appears to be a book about a hungry caterpillar. In some respects that is true, but it’s also more than that. The caterpillar represents all of us. A blob, a being that hungers. The caterpillar hungers for food but you can hunger for almost anything
In the beginning the caterpillar is responsible and eats a modest amount of healthy food. He even spaces out his healthy food over the course of a week. This does not solve his hunger. It’s what society may think the caterpillar needs, but deep down the caterpillar knows it needs more.
On Saturday he gives up doing what he is supposed to do and gives in to his hunger. He eats everything.
It has been said that Eric Carle wasn’t going to include the part with the leaf. The caterpillar was just going to turn into a butterfly after eating the unhealthy stuff. However, that wouldn’t have made parents happy so instead he got a stomachache.
He eats what he needs to eat and then eats a salad the next day to appease onlookers, but it’s clear that it’s not the salad that makes him turn into a butterfly.
