The Very Hungry Caterpillar

By: Anju Thomas, Kendra Alexandre, and Christina DiBiase

Banned Books Assignment

Summary

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a children's book written by Eric Carle. The book tells a story about a small caterpillar who eats his way through many varieties of food. From Monday to Friday the caterpillar eats several types of fruits. Then on Saturday he devours his way through chocolate cake, ice cream, Swiss cheese, a pickle, salami, cherry pie, a lollipop, sausage, a cupcake, and a slice of watermelon resulting in a tummy ache. On Sunday he eats one single leaf which makes him feel better! In the end the caterpillar forms his cocoon and emerges into a beautiful butterfly!

Moral

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is loved for its creative illustrations and amusing storyline. When the caterpillar finally learns from his mistake of overindulging he grows into a radiant butterfly. The book teaches us that if the caterpillar can turn into a butterfly there is hope for all of us, no matter what we look like.

Banned!

The book was allegedly banned in Herefordshire, England during a healthy eating campaign. It was banned because it was thought to have promoted obesity and overeating. By eating too much on Saturday, many thought the book was endorsing overindulgence. One of the main points of the story is when the caterpillar eats and feels sick, takes a break from all that consumption. He eats one green leaf and he feels better. We all should take that single leaf!

Our Opinion

In our opinion, The Very Hungry Caterpillar should not have been banned. The innocent book is just explaining the life of a caterpillar with an entertaining twist. The book not only taught about learning from your mistakes but gave a head start to children about the days of the week, multiple types of fruits, and the idea of hope. We think censorship should be abolished because we should have the right to exchange ideas freely without the interference of the government or censors of any kind. Everyone should be allowed to read whatever book their hearts desire.

Awards

The Very Hungry Caterpillar sold over thirty million copies. The book is also reportedly being sold every thirty seconds somewhere around the world. It has been translated into more than thirty different languages, from Swahili to Catalan. It’s worldwide sales top the twenty million mark. It also occupies a constant presence on the UK’s bestseller list.

The Memorable Book

• • • “It Is one of our most successful books of all time,” says Francesca Dow.

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of the pillars of children’s culture,” says Ted Dewan.

“It’s almost talking about how great the Beatles were. It’s beyond reproach,” utters Ted Dewan.

Work Cited

• • • • Taylor, Kate. "Eat Your Heart out." Www.guardian.com/books. 22 Oct. 2004. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. .

Rouleau, Sandy. "Eric Carle Author Study." Teaching Resources,

Children's Book Recommendations, and Student Activities |

Scholastic.com. 1996. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. .

Kennedy, Elizabeth. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." Children's Books - Reviews Articles Lists of Best Children's Books. Web. 01 Oct. 2010.

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All pictures are taken from creativecommons.com