Thursday 28 May 2015

Enduring Children’s Classics - The Very Hungry Caterpillar and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Michael Rosen’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt have achieved UK book trade “Evergreen” status. This means they have never fallen out of Total Consumer Market’s Top 5000 since records began. When asked about the popularity of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle had the following to say: “I believe most children can identify with the helpless, small, insignificant caterpillar and they rejoice with it when it turns into a beautiful butterfly. I think it’s a message of hope. It says: I too can grow up. I too can unfold my wings-my talent-and fly into the world.”

Michael Rosen attributes the longevity of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt to two things going on in the book; “a chant about getting home that children can learn very quickly because of the repetition in the text; and the fact that Helen Oxenbury has taken that and created a family dilemma with an intriguing family group that draws children in.” The Bookseller 06.02.15I

Both picture books are consistently borrowed in their many different formats from Clare County Library branches.

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