The Very Hungry Caterpillar Board Book and Plush by Eric Carle (1986, Hardcover, Miniature)

Written by the same guy who illustrated "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" this book is another good choice if you are looking for a title that will fascinate and amuse the young child. Illustrates the progression of a caterpillar from a little egg to a tiny caterpillar to a BIG fat caterpillar as it "eats" and "eats" each day, which is represented by little "holes" in the pages! Children won't be able to resist touching the little holes (they are not big enough for little fingers to poke through) and in this way the book is quite interactive. The colorful illustrations are appealing to a young child as well.

The only problem I have with the book is that it is a bit unrealistic from the science standpoint. Caterpillars don't normally eat such things as Swiss cheese, chocolate cate and sausage. It would have been nice to see an additional element of teaching real science to the child by illustrating a more realistic scenario of what might really take place in nature. However, had the author done so, the book probably wouldn't have been quite as entertaining or colorful. The book succeeds in engaging the very young child into the story and promoting a love for reading, and for that, I give this book five stars; it would make an excellent addition to any young child's library.