Eric Carle’s Most Notorious Success
An Analytical Approach
Kelly Marie Shafer
12/1/2011
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Eric Carle brings a double threat to the world of Children’s Literature—widely known for
his entertaining and imaginative tales, as well as his unique artistic skill as an illustrator. The
once graphic designer to The New York Times, found his true calling writing and illustrating
picture books for children. With over seventy books credited towards this dynamic duo found in
one man, Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” has proven to be a sensation across the
nation. Through use of his unique illustrative style and simplistic approach to language, “The
Very Hungry Caterpillar” acts as a trademark of Eric Carle’s work and ultimate success.
Eric Carle’s distinctive illustrations allow for his work to be instantly recognizable. This
one of-a-kind style utilizes one of the most basic skills learned in art—creating collages. Carle
personally hand-paints tissue paper in bright, bold colors. He then cuts, shapes and layers these
multi-tonal pieces of tissue paper into collages, which ultimately create his masterpieces. By
layering these pieces of painted paper, multiple dimensions appear to bring the scenes to life.
Looking closely at the hungry caterpillar, one might notice the varying hues of green in the body
of the insect. Even closer inspections of the various illustrations reveal brush marks, showing the
personal technique implemented by Carle himself. This intricate detail to texture enriches his
artwork, adding depth to the simple yet enticing images. By allowing the pictures to take the
majority of the space on the book’s pages, Carle attracts his readers with these eye-catching and
lively depictions of the Caterpillar’s quest for food. One cannot help but appreciate the
originality and consistency found in Eric Carle’s work, as exemplified in “The Very Hungry
Caterpillar.”
These handcrafted images go hand-in-hand with the literature, illustrating exactly what
the words say—nothing is added or left out. When looking at the writing by itself, the story can
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be told and fully understood. The language is very straight-forward and simple, using repetitive
structure such as, “On Tuesday he ate through two pears, but he was still hungry,” (pg. 4) and
building on the next, “On Wednesday he ate through three plums, but he still hungry,” (pg. 5).
Carle has his readers follow the caterpillar’s daily eating habits for the first week, explicitly
covering what has been consumed. The repetitive nature and sequential order reiterates the
storyline and reinforces the readers’ understanding of counting. Lacking Carle’s tissue-painted
collages would, however, prove to be rather boring for younger children, making engagement
difficult with such a short, simple story.
Looking at the reverse, and “reading” the story by the pictures alone, appears to be also
possible. Carle allows his illustrations to take up the majority of his pages—placing emphasis on
his personal creations to tell the story. The tale opens with the moon shining down on a tiny egg
lying on a leaf. It then progresses through the caterpillar’s eating habits, starting off with one
apple and ending his binge with several, mostly unhealthy foods, such as chocolate cake and ice
cream. Carle illustrates the caterpillar’s act of eating by having tiny holes cut through the pages
for each of the items consumed. In this version of the book, the size of the pages increase at the
same rate as the caterpillar’s intake, exemplifying a visual display that the caterpillar is eating
more and more. Carle then depicts the once tiny caterpillar as huge, and fat—taking up an entire
page of his book in comparison to the measly inch or so given in the previous pages. Finally, the
caterpillar is shown wrapped in a cocoon, and concludes with the bursting out of a bright and
colorful butterfly. Words are not needed to show the transformation of this creature, the simple
and straight-forwardness found in the writing is also demonstrated in the illustrations—making
understanding of the plot possible by pictures alone. The words are included merely for
clarification and literary practice—the pictures speak for themselves.
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The simplicity of both the words and illustrations leave room for commentary to be made
by the audience. Topics concerning the systematic increasing of food intake as well as content
consumed by the caterpillar are left up for discussion. On the basic level, children are
encouraged to recognize the pattern of counting with Carle’s use of everyday foods as well as
recognize the days of the week in order. The caterpillar starts with one apple on Monday,
followed by two pears on Tuesday and accelerates until he consumes his final feast on Saturday.
The life cycle of the butterfly is also introduced. Readers see the egg produce a caterpillar, which
eats until wrapping himself in a cocoon and ultimately transforms into a butterfly. On a more
complex level, the notion of gluttony is epitomized. The once bright and tiny caterpillar, who
starts off eating small portions of healthy foods, like strawberries and oranges, gets carried away
and spends Saturday eating, “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,” (pg. 10-11). As a result of the caterpillar’s unwarranted
consumption, he is left on Saturday with a stomachache. This shows the negative consequences
that unhealthy, excessive life decisions can have on the individual. The caterpillar, however,
finds redemption and eats a single leaf—feeling much better for reverting back to his modest
beginnings.
Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” has sold millions, deeming it a children’s
literary classic. Carle, infamous for his personally handmade illustrations, has remained true to
his signature style—using captivating painted tissue paper collages to create his very hungry
caterpillar along with the food that he eats. His unique illustrative approach draws readers in,
allowing its basic and universal appeal to make the story a generationally-passed favorite.
Carle’s use of simplistic language as well as illustrations allow for either factor to tell the story
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independently, but create a better and more comprehensive tale when utilized together as
reinforcements. Although this story appears simple and straightforward in both the literature and
art, several underlying lessons, such as counting, metamorphosis, and living in a healthy manner
are included. “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is a literary favorite, loved by children, parents,
teachers and more. Eric Carle effectively engages his readers with his vivid and colorful
creations, relating to the world of a child and significantly impacting their literary world.