Eric Carle, the famous author and illustrator of children’s books, passed away May 23rd, 2021, at the age of 91 thus we wanted to honor his contributions by providing a little history about Mr. Carle and some activities related to his most popular book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Eric Carle was known for his simple yet engaging writing style and his colorful illustrations. His unique collage-style artwork was strongly influenced by modern and abstract artists he was introduced to while in school at a time when such artwork was forbidden (he was living in Germany during World War II). To see an example of this style and how Mr. Carle produces his illustrations, watch this video clip of Mr. Rogers visiting Eric Carle’s art studio. Older children may also enjoy this brief history of his life in the United States and Germany and how his love of art developed.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar:
Eric Carle’s most famous book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar; click here to watch an animated version of the book or listen to Eric Carle read the book here.
Crafts:
After reading the book, have your child engage in a Very Hungry Caterpillar inspired craft.
Caterpillar Craft: You can have your child make a caterpillar out of an egg carton (supplies needed: egg carton, scissors, pipe cleaners, and markers or paints) or clothespin (supplies needed: clothespin, green paint or marker, one red pompom, and a few green pompoms, glue, and a magnetic strip if you want to make it into a magnet).
Butterfly Craft: You can also have your child make a butterfly. Eric Carle often used tissue paper when making his illustrations so a great project would be to make Tissue Paper Butterflies using a clothespin (supplies needed: tissue paper, clothespin, pipe cleaner, googly eyes, and paint if desired) or pipe cleaners (supplies needed: tissue paper, pipe cleaner, scissors, pencil and possibly a ruler).
Physical Activity:
Cosmic Kids Yoga Adventure developed a fun yoga class for kids relating to the Very Hungry Caterpillar book. The 20-minute class walks kids through easy and engaging yoga poses that act out each step of the caterpillar’s journey.
More Eric Carle Books:
Below are additional links to some of Eric Carle’s other famous books. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? (By Bill Martin Jr.; Illustrations by Eric Carle)
Description: Eric Carle Books and activities
Age Levels:
- PreK 3-5 yrs (preschool)
- 5-6 yrs (kindergarten)
- 6-8 yrs (primary)
Tags:
Reading
Arts & Crafts
Developer:
Karena Rush
Credit:
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
CC BY-NC-SA
Credit: ConnectionSpot.org on 6/9/2021
