Book Description

What color is a bluebird? Easy to answer, but even easier when you have thecolor to match it with. Find the color in the top half of a page that matches the picture on thebottom half. From pink flowers to purple grapes, this colorful book is full of fun and surprises.Children will love solving these color puzzles featuring Eric Carle’s bold and vibrant artwork. ... Read more

Book Description

The chameleon's life was not very exciting until the day it discovered it could change not only its color but its shape and size,too. When it saw the wonderful animals in the zoo, it immediately wanted to be like them -- and ended up like all of them at once -- with hilarious results.

Reviews (6)

The Mixed-Up Chameleon, School Project
I think that "The Mixed-Up Chameleon" by Eric Carle is a really great, fun and interesting, and a great learning experience for children. Personally, I have loved this book since as long as I can remember. In the beginning, it describes a chameleon that is bored of its boring life. He then goes to the zoo and sees all kinds of different and beautiful animals. Astonished by the sight of all of them, he wishes to become them one by one. He must wish to be about ten animals including a person. After all of this excitement, he sees a fly and...... Well, I can't tell you what happens! Buy this book and your child(children) and you can find out together.
This is the type of book that you can read and enjoy for years and years. Although, if I had to lower it down to a certain age group, then, I would have to say it's mostly for children from the ages 5-8. But don't get me wrong, I'm defiantly not telling all of you that are older not to read this book.
For all of you parents out there:
This book is a great choice for children that are in the learning process of reading. It's easy to comprehend and there are not many words that will be stumbled on. Also, it has a great lesson behind all of it. You can wish to be something else, and if that wish comes true, then all it will tell you is that you were perfect the way you were before. Wishing to be something else will just make things difficult in the long run.
So after hearing all that I have to say do you think you'll be interested in buying a book like this? Trust me, it will be worth the money and a great buy.
Also, I just wanted to say that if you enjoy this book, then I believe that you will enjoy every single one of Eric Carle's others. He is an amazing author.

Great Artwork, Strong Message
Eric Carle's "The Mixed-Up Chameleon" tells the story of a little chameleon who hates the fact that he changes color to match his surroundings. He notices a zoo and all the wonderful and distinctive animals there. He begins to wish for (and receives) various elements from the animals ("I wish I was tall, like a giraffe" is one). The chameleon ends up as an assemblage of parts which look great on the original animals, but don't do very well all together. The rub comes when the hungry chameleon cannot reach the fly to eat it. He wishes to be himself again and regains his true form.

My kids love this book, not only for the beautiful artwork, but also because as each page is turned, the new animal whose feature the chameleon takes is shown, so at the end, all the animals are shown at the edge of the page. I like the message that being yourself is always the best, and that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.

Wonderful for the Classroom
This is a story of a chameleon who is not happy. He thinks he is not exciting. He sees some beatiful animals at the zoo and wishes he could be like them. The animals he sees are: a white polar bear, a pink flamingo flamigo, a red fox, an orange fish, a brown deer, a yellow giraffe, a green turtle, a blue elephant,and a purple seal. Each time the chamelon sees a new animal he wishes he could be like them. The chamelon's body begins to dipict a part of the other animals. At the end of the story he wishes to be back to normal. This book could be used in the classroom when the students are learning their colors. It could be used to reinforce squencing. The students could retell the order the animals appear. The illustrations are are wonderful in this book. The students could construct torn-paper designs to illustrate the chameleon.

Story grows on you
We read this book after Brown Bear and Polar Bear and about the same time as Hungry Caterpillar. While my 2 1/2 year old son, Brian, loves all of his Eric Carle books, he's particularly taken with this mixed-up chameleon. From the first page, there are already new concepts to grasp, such as seeing the chameleon turn "brownish" after it moved onto a "brown" tree, "reddish" on a "red" flower, and "yellowish" on the "yellow" sand. That's just Page 1. Subsequently, Brian would then read out loud, how "I wish I could be HANDSOME like a flamingo,"..."smart like a fox",..."funny like a seal" at which point he'll go "hahahahaha". He's only had the book for 3 weeks and he's already "reading" almost the whole book by himself. The story has a moral to it too, about how the chameleon, after wishing to be all the things it wasn't, ended up so mixed-up that it finally wished "I could be myself." We have great fun reading about the chameleon together, as we do about the other Eric Carle characters: hungry caterpillar, brown bear, polar bear, and little cloud.

A colorful story with a valuable lesson
Eric Carle has a beautiful way of telling stories that touch the heart and teach valuable lessons. The Mixed-up Chameleon tells a story about the importance of being yourself. My 2 year old loves the bright pictures and easy to follow story. Another loved Eric Carle story! ... Read more

Book Description

Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle Two Board Book Bear Set (Brown Bear and Polar Bear)
For a limited time buy two of the classic "Bear" books from Bill Martin Jr. and Erick Carle in one easy-to-order package. ... Read more

Book Description

The barnyard rooster crows and Jack wakes up -- hungry, of course! What does he want for breakfast? A big pancake! But first, Jack's mother needs flour from the mill, an egg from the black hen, milk from the spotted cow, butter churned from fresh cream, and firewood for the stove. Will Jack ever get his pancake?

With his trademark vibrant collage illustrations and a lively text, Eric Carle has created a mouthwatering tale for young readers. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great food book
This is a great book about where food comes from. One morning Jack decides he wants a pancake for breakfast. His mother tells him "Fine," but first he has to go get the wheat from the field and winnow it and then take it to the mill and help mill it. He also has to collect an egg from the chicken, milk the cow, churn the butter, and cut firewood for fuel for the stove. By the time his pancake is finally ready to eat, he's really hungry!

This book fascinated the kids.
Pancakes, Pancakes! is another beautifully illustrated Eric Carle book for the youngsters. My son likes nothing better than a huge plate of pancakes for breakfast and was attracted to this book immediately upon viewing its cover depicting a large, happy pancake.

Pancakes, Pancakes! tells the story of a hungry little boy who wakes one morning with a craving for pancakes. He asks him mom for pancakes but she's too busy and tells him to collect the things needed to make them instead (they apparently don't sell the frozen ones in this story). He's a good little boy and does so without complaint. He has to make the flour (by hand!), wait for the hen to lay an egg, milk the spotted cow, churn the butter and so on until he has all of the ingredients assembled. Frankly, I was surprised this poor child didn't complain and then collapse from exhaustion! Finally, the sweet boy gets his pancakes and all ends well.

My kids were riveted to this tale and especially enjoyed the illustrations. They were particularly fascinated by the page containing a picture of the ingredients the boy collected. The story also invited a lot of questions (my kids are used to microwave pancakes and were quite bewildered by the lengths the boy had to go to for breakfast). They both seemed to enjoy it very much and, best of all, it held their attention and made them think and ask questions instead of zoning out while I read. All of this combined with the beautiful art work makes Pancakes, Pancakes! a keeper for us.

Pancakes, Pancakes!
The story "Pancakes, Pancakes!" is a wonderful book for children. Eric Carle is a great author and has many other good children's books. This story is about a boy who wants pancakes for breakfast but has to do the work to get it. He has to get the wheat, butter, milk the cows, get eggs from the chickens, and build a fire and everything just so that his mother can make him a big pancake. I think this book teaches kids that you have to work to get what you want. Overall, it is a good story and I think kids can learn from it.

Pancakes, Pancakes
If you and your kids (ages 2-7) like to eat pancakes. You will surely enjoy helping them make pancakes with you in the kitchen after reading this yummy (though not edible) book. Your taste buds will salivate and you'll be heading to the cabinet to check for ingredients to help your little ones make fresh pancakes.

Pancakes, Pancakes!
Pancakes, Pancakes has been my favorite "elementary" book for years! I love this book even now and I am in middle school. Eric Carle is a great children's author. I have about every one of his books he has ever written. The illustrations are beautiful to look at and the stories are so appealing to young readers. Great job, Mr. Eric Carle!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

To love a poem
This book provides a good start to teaching children to love poems. It contains the one element necessary to every successful poetic verse: transformation and magic.

The book opens with a William Blake epigraph: "O! How I dreamt of things impossible."

Inside are 32 poems, from a range of sources, including the Book of Job, Sir Richard Burton, William Shakespeare--and every poet's demi-god, Ranier Maria Rilke.

Each verse is wonderful in its own right. The words alone make this book alive for kids: Reading several of these poems to a class of second graders elicited cries for more. I ran over time, and ended up reading half the poems.

The brilliant illustrations add their own glory. Alyssa A. Lappen

A magical land...
We just bought this book for our seven year old son. The collection of poems, combined with Eric Carle's magical drawings has taken our son to a new world filled with dragons, unicorns, and all kinds of fantastic creatures. This is the world of a child's imagination and there is no one like Eric Carle to bring it to life...Read to your child, stare at the beauty of the art work and you will travel together to a magical land.

A wonderful way to introduce children to mythology.
In a world where Teletubbies rule and purple dinosaurs cavort under hot studio lights, it is refreshing to find a children's entertainment devoid of pretension, which combines a bold design sense with quotes from genre stalwarts (Anne McCaffrey and John Gardner, among others) to form what amounts to a kid's first mythological primer. It's also a great way for adults to revisit the subject, as it delves not only into classical Greek and Roman lore, but also into the oft-ignored realms of African and Asian mythology.

Does not quite live up to Carle's usual artistic quality.
Unlike most of Carle's books, this one is for a slightly older audience. I chose it because it has my two year old son's namesake (Griffyn, though spelled with two i's) in it. The poems or stories are not as pleasing to the ear or as readable as Carle's usual. ... Read more

Book Description

Children all over the world have grown up with Eric Carle and his "very" books. Now, for the first time, three of these classic board books are together in their own little library! Packaged in a beautiful slipcase, the timeless The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Lonely Firefly, and The Very Busy Spider make a collection essential for every new baby, and every child beginning the road to reading. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A really great buy
Of course, these Eric Carle books are gems. Each story is fun because they are interactive. Lights flash at the end of Very Lonely Firefly, and the intricate paging of Very Hungry Caterpillar are great for baby and toddler fingers. But try and buy these seperately, and I'm telling you that you just can not beat the price of this boxed set. It is a great, great, deal. This makes a perfect gift for a baby shower, or birthday. Since the books are the board edition you know that they will last a while too. ... Read more

Book Description

Durante veinte aÑos, La mariquita malhumorada ha deleitado a los pequeÑos lectores y oyentes. Sus dibujos audaces y su texto humorÍstico nos relatan la historia de una diminuta mariquita, como no hay otra. La mark quita malhumorada no acostumbraba a decir "por favor' ni "gracias"; no le gustaba compartir nada; pensaba que era mÁs grande y mÁs importante que los demÁs; y siempre estaba lista a provocar una pelea. De acciÓn continua y con atractivas pÁginas troqueladlas, esta historia invita a los niÑos a explorar los conceptos de tiempo, tamaÑos, formas y buenos modales. AprenderÁn,a la vez que se divertirÁn, con el cuento de cÓmo esta malhumorada fanfarrona se encuentra con "la horma de su zapato" y se convierte en un insecto bueno y educado.Recientemente reimpreso, utilizando las ilustraciones originales, La mariquita malhumorada, mÁs atractiva que nunca, continÚa siendo uno de los libros preferidos de los niÑos por su originalidad y su belleza.

Amazon.com

Whether she's sipping nectar from beautiful flowers, avoiding hungrybirds and fish, dancing with a butterfly, or bravely protecting her entire hivefrom a big bear with an even bigger appetite, this honeybee is always on themove. Eric Carle's updated classic features truly inspired feats of paperengineering, including a galloping bear and a spectacular butterfly that looksas if it will take off at any moment. There's not a gratuitous pop-up, flap, ormovable piece of art in the book; readers will gasp with delight at every page,with every reading. The charming story is still a showcase for Carle'sdistinctive collages, in delectable golds, earthy greens, shimmering blues, andwarm browns. This version is smaller than the original, and the text has beenrevised slightly, with younger readers in mind. A clever new interactive coverallows children to make the villain bear's eyes cross as the angry looking beestings his nose.

Carle's bold, appealing style is known and loved by happy readers everywhere,who return again and again to TheVery Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Quiet Cricket, The Grouchy Ladybug, and hismany other very popular titles. (Preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (2)

THE KING OF COLORFUL COLLAGE DOES IT AGAIN!
Eric Carle, the king of colorful collage, has been delighting young readers for sometime now. This sturdy board book reissue of his 1981 classic is simply another jewel in his crown.

Bug-eyed, red nosed and eager, a honeybee exhorts her neighbors to go out and gather nectar. Pull a tab, and you'll see her fly. Another tab opens flower petals so the bees can sip nectar.

She's a swift honeybee, this one, as her tab-told story unfolds - she escapes a bird, a fish, and a frog to play with a vibrant winged pop-up butterfly.

But once she returns to her hive she hears a frightening noise. She thinks it must be a robber. What kind of a robber would try to steal their honey? What can the bees do to defend themselves. Pull some more tabs, and you'll see.!

Easy for young hands, a delight for young eyes, and a smile for the young at heart.

A wonderful interactive addition to our Eric Carle library.
My children and I always anxiously await any new addition to our Eric Carle library. It's hard to believe that our next book will meet our high expectations, but they always do. The honeybee and the Robber was a new angle to his interactive collection which we thoroughly enjoyed. My children had plenty of opportunity to share the moving pictures and read the book over and over.The beauty of this book is that the children enjoy "reading" it to themselves using the moving parts to stir their imagination ... Read more

Book Description

It is Tim's birthday. Instead of a package, Tim gets a mysterious letter -- written in code! Tim -- and the reader -- are off, following the clues. And at the end of the treasure hunt is a wonderful birthday surprise!

Reviews (3)

Toddler Fun!
This book is about a boy (Tim) who had received a secret message for his birthday. You must follow the message, which is teaching shapes and through the wonderful illustrations catches the concepts of these shapes associated with this world. The pictures wonderful as all of Eric Carle's are and this is a fun adventure!

Pointy Star
I love this story, but the board book version of it worries me because there is a page with a cut out star that is very pointy. The way my little guy examines books makes me afraid that he would poke himself in the eye.

This is a wonderfully engaging book for children!
My daughter received this book for her 1st birthday and although she was too little to "follow" the symbols of the "secret message" she adores the shaped pages, the large pictures of easily identified objects - moon, stars, rock etc. and the birthday present at the end which you can peek through to see the page before was her absolute favorite. I need to purchase another copy for her because she has just about worn it out! ... Read more

Book Description

Now available for the first time as a coloring book, Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar will delight children as they bring their own imagination to this classic story.Including a new introduction by Eric Carle, as well as blank pages at the end of the book for your own pictures, this is the perfect way to turn story time into coloring time.At the same time interactive and timeless, this is one coloring book you'll want to save as a keepsake! ... Read more

Book Description

A little boy's cat is missing, and he embarks on a fantastic round-the-world quest to find his lost pet. Along the way, he meets lots of interesting people and sees many beautiful members of the cat family, including lions and tigers and panthers. But over and over again he has to say "This is not my cat!" until at last he finds the cat he's looking for -- who has a delightful surprise for him.

Eric Carle's simple, repetitive text and distinctive cut-paper illustrations make this modern classic a book to treasure. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

That's not MY cat -- but it IS my book!
Ok, so I'm getting closer to 30 than I am to 3, but as a lifetime lover of Eric Carle books and a die-hard cat person, I loved this book. I first encountered it in an undergraduate children's lit. class during my senior year in college. From there, I took the book home to my roommates (two guys and another gal) and it became a permanent resident on the coffee table!

It was great to pick up after a long day -- even just to look at Carle's whimsical art work. But, more importantly, the memorable line "that's not MY cat," became the motto of our household. It didn't matter if the subject was a mismatched sock or an extra plate of leftovers in the fridge -- my roommates would jubilantly yell out "that's not MY cat!"

Have You Seen My Cat is a great book for the kid in all of us -- even if you don't have a special child to read to, I highly recommend this book.

My son just loves this book
This book can be a lot of fun to read with your toddler if you "improvise". When my 3 year old and I read it together, I always add words describing what we see on the pages. For instance, there is a Mexican Cowboy on one page and we say "Mr. Cabalero, Have you seen my cat?" and on the next page, we say "This is not my cat....this is a jaguar" So it becomes a learning experience and lots of fun for both of us. I highly recommend any of the Eric Carle books.

Not the Usual Eric Carle
This book misses the mark. Here's all the words in the book "Have you seen my cat", "this is not my cat", "this is my cat". While I agree repetition is good, the fact that there are no OTHER words to describe the different scenes in the book is a huge annoyance and my 18mos daughter seems bored with it too.

One reviewer wrote that they add to the phrase "this is not my cat" the type of cat they see. Well, I think that's exactly what Eric Carle should have done and didn't: "this is a bobacat. this is not my cat". That way, children learn different animal names, but still get repetition of language. Honestly, some of the pictures are a little hard to distinguish...I doubt a toddler figure out the difference between a cheetah and a panther without some type of indication in the book.

Here's my suggestion: take the 3 phrases listed above and come up with your own story and skip buying the book. Spend your money on "The Hungry Caterpillar".

Great book for cat lovers of all ages
My son, husband and I first checked a copy out from the library and we read at least a dozen times a day. When it was time to turn the book back in we had to find a copy for ourselves. Our son is absolutely cat crazy and he loves the illustrations in this book. They're so lively and beautiful.

Out of hundreds of books, this is my child's favorite!!
This is one of the most engaging childrens' books I've ever read! I checked it out of the library for my 2 year old daughter and I am here to buy it for her. She wants to read it several times a day! We like to add to it by saying, "Mr. Cowboy, have YOU seen my cat? That's not my cat..that's a BOBCAT!" My daughter squeals in laughter and it is teaching her animals and different types of people as well. I highly recommend it...along with ALL of Eric Carle's books. You can't go wrong. ... Read more

Book Description

Do you want to be my friend? asks the little mouse, and hopefully follows a tail, finding at the end of it a rather unfriendly horse. But there's another tail, and another, and a strange, long, green one, too, that follows the mouse on his quest for a friend.

Each page of this ingenious picture book contains a surprise. Its only text is on the first page, but the exciting pursuit of a friend for the little mouse lends itself to improvisation by both the reader and the young child -- another brilliant idea from Eric Carle, the creator of The Secret Birthday Message and The Mixed-Up Chameleon.

Notable Children's Books of 1971 (ALA)
Children's Books of 1971 (Library of Congress)
Honor Book, Book World Spring Book Festival 1971

Reviews (6)

compared to hungry caterpillar a disappointment
yes this is a book about friendship and i realize for child at times simple is better but this book i thought really lacked especially compared to how great a book the hungry caterpillar is(i personally think just about this authors best book)it has at the very start of the book the question ask by a mouse "do you want to be my friend?"and then at the end a yes from another mouse no other writing between yes you can teach your child a little about the other animals the mouse is apparently asking though not in print.I personally thought this could have been laid out a little different

"Do you want to be my friend"
This book is about a mouse that wants a friend so he goes asking other animals if they will be his friend. He asks alligators, giraffes, elephants, and other animals, but they all said no. So now maybe you can figure out the rest of the story.
I think the lesson that this book teaches is that everyone needs a friend or you not going to get anywhere in life. I would say that the age level for this book is for three to eight year olds because it has mostly pictures and only eight words. It was an ok book and the good point of the book was that the artwork was really nice.

LOVE IT
As a early childhood speech pathologist and special education teacher, I love this Eric Carle book. It allows the children to "tell the story" and provides a great foundation to discuss friendships. We read it every year in my classroom.

Cute
A bit too repetitive, but I like the idea of looking for a friend.

not what I expected!
Being a huge fan of Eric Carle and a kindergarten teacher, I was fairly disappointed with this book....it needs words! The only words found in the book are in two speech bubbles. At one time, these pictures were published in a Big Book that included text entitled "Will You Be My Friend?". Early readers need simple text they can follow - not just pictures. ... Read more

Book Description

"I am Joy, and I have come to qreet you."

A beautiful bird named Joy stops one day to visit a mountain. Every spring she flies high in the air, looking for the best place to build her nest and raise her children. As much as Joy would like to stay with the mountain, she must leave to continue her search. After hearing the mountain's pleas for her to stay, Joy is so touched she makes a very special promise that each spring the mountain will be visited by one of her kin. Over time the birds bring about a wonderful change in the mountain -- a change that will transform the mountain forever. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

It's about hope!
I found this book again while cleaning my daughter's room; I found it years ago and it is such a wonderful and uplifting story. Perhaps it was more than serendipity that I found it again, for it seemed the perfect message to send to an adult friend who needed some TLC -- for its main message, to my mind, is one of hope, and of believing in the power of love.

Beautiful pictures, beautiful story
This story is one of the true classics of children's literature, even though it is an unkown. I collect children's books, and this is one of my all - time favorites. If you want a story with substance, meaning, and still a wonderful story - buy this one. The illustrations are outstanding, also. Have a kleenex handy, though.

Beautiful
This is one of the most beautiful books that I have ever read. It is love. Love that is indeed essential. Like water for chocolate type of love. Whenever I read this book it amazes me how as to how real the author personified the characters.

This story not only clarifies the necessity to of the need for love but it brings it forth with such astounding boldness. The mountain in its isolation literally almost gives up in the midst of its quest for companionship.

This book is not only a book for children -- it is can also be a literary piece for adults. In the quest for the mountain's security; the bird leaves behind generation upon generation of offspring to provide the mountain with a sense of love and security for many, many, many years to come.

Beautiful -- is a mere word that describes an element of something that is precious, astounding, and good. I cannot find the perfect word for this book. It seems to me that beautiful is hardly enough.

Beautiful story, great storytelling
This is a beautiful story about a bird that visits a mountain once a year. Both can talk, and they visit with each other. The mountain is lonely. The bird explains she will die someday, that birds don't live long, but promises she will have her daughter visit when she is gone. She explains that she cannot live there as this mountain is barren, so she can visit only once per year. The mountain is lonely when she passes on and cries (a brook begins). The daughter does visit and she drops one seed per year. In the end the mountain is a thriving ecosystem where birds and animals can live year round, nourished by the water that the mountain created.

The book has longer prose than the usual picture books for this age range (more like the picture books published in the 1950s and 1960s). The illustrations are by Eric Carle, interesting and appealing collage format that he is famous for.

This is a tender and touching tale! It is not just a plain picture book prose, it truly is "storytelling".

Timeless Story for Both Young and Old
I randomly picked and read this book waiting for my wife to finish in her kindergarten class. What joy it brought to me, as it will to you and your children. "The Mountain That Loved a Bird" revels in classic storytelling of old: a building promise of a miraculous ending. The timeless themes of emotions, promises made and kept, and "happily-ever-after" resound throughout the story and beautiful artwork. In these days of rapid-fire animation and video game addiction, "The Mountain That Loved a Bird" brings us to a gentler and far more satisfying place. It will teach your children about the power of friendship and hope, a lesson off-times lost in this world of Pokemon and violence. This book is one that should hold a revered and oft-used place beside your child's bed. But don't be surprised if you find "The Mountain That Loved a Bird" making its way into your bedroom or favorite reading nook. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the best-selling children's books of all time, The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been delighting young readers for over thirty years. Now packaged as a board book with a new plush doll, this classic book will continue to introduce new generations of children to the magical world of Eric Carle. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Charming ¿ Eat Your Way Through An Afternoon!
Story Synopsis:
- A caterpillar eats his way through different foods until he is full and weaves a cocoon transforming into a beautiful butterfly. Charming colorful illustrations of foods along with the fat caterpillar and catchy little holes in the foods where the caterpillar "had his snack" make this book a hit with young children.

Review:
- Eric Carle's classic, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" has charmed millions over the years with it's simple memorable story, striking illustrations and the gimmicky holes on each of its' pages. To date, more than 12 million copies of this book have been sold in its original, full-sized edition, and mini editions. This beloved tale of science and gluttony has also been translated into 20 languages and counting. Die-cut pages (each page has a hole where the "caterpillar" ate through the food item) illustrate what the caterpillar ate on successive days. Strikingly bold, colorful pictures and a simple text in large, clear type tell the story of a hungry little caterpillar's culinary progress through an amazing variety and quantity of foods. Full at last, he weaves a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep, to emerge a few weeks later as a wonderfully transformed and beautiful butterfly! The final, double-page picture of the butterfly is a joyous explosion of color, a vibrant affirmation of the wonder and beauty of Nature. This story is a hit every time. Carle's bright colors and clever die-cut artwork never cease to entertain even the youngest child, and there is surely nothing in nature closer to magic than the emergence of a butterfly. This is a beautiful, educational and fun book.

Literary Features For Young Readers:
- Simple words appropriate to pre-readers, younger children and ELLs (English Language Learners).
- The predictability of the words and their tie-in with the illustrations makes the book easy for pre-readers to understand.
- The rhythm of the prose makes the book memorable and fun book to read for little people.
- Strikingly bold, colorful pictures tell the story of the hungry little caterpillar in complement with the simple words.
- Eric Carle's art gimmick (i.e. the die-cut holes through the food illustrations on each page) gives small children (and the occasional adult like me!) an extra bit of fun and enjoyment
- The moral lessons of the story are simple and universal: "Don't judge a person by the way they look" and "real beauty is more than skin-deep."

Teaching Tie-ins:
- Counting skills (Foods accumulate progressively)
- The days of the week.
- Nutrition (The best food for the caterpillar is the leaf, not the candy, cake, etc. or why we can't eat chocolate and candy all day long)
- Intro to science and biology:
It is a fun book with its' "holes" that have been eaten through the pages, and become a preschoolers introduction to science/biology when the little caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly.
- Shapes (foods)

Possible Projects:
- Food or nutrition mobiles and other related projects.
- Art collages in the style or Eric Carle using torn tissue and other media.
- Simple life cycle science projects (posters are life cycle mobiles)
- Caterpillar art activity: creating caterpillars out of an egg cartoons.
- As a preschool and kindergarten teacher, I had classes perform simple plays for young children based upon this book.
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I highly recommend this charming little book for younger children and ELLs (English Language Learners).

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan ... Read more

Book Description

One fine morning, a rooster sets off to see the world. Soon he's joined by two cats, then three frogs, then four turtles, then five fish. But one group by one, his new friends decide to head home, leaving the rooster alone again -- and ready to return to his own comfortable home as well. Bold, colorful collage illustrations, a beguiling story, and a simple introduction to number sets, addition, and subtraction combine to make Rooster's Off to See the World a delight for Eric Carle's many young fans. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Roosters Off to see the world.
I rate this book at a five. It teachers childrenhow to be nice, and care and treat others with respect. Any child I think could read this because what it teaches is a good lesson to young ones.The book to me was actually pretty good.

Beautiful book but the story is a little sad *sniff*
I recently purchased a six pack of Eric Carle books because my six year old loves his illustrations. Included was the story Rooster's Off To See The World. The colorful artwork is visually stunning and captivates both of my children who insisted I read it NOW!

The story tells the tale (with lots of repetitive text) of an ambitious rooster who sets out to see the world. He leaves his cozy home safe behind to embark on his trip. On each page he picks up a few new friends who are also seduced by the temptation to "see the world". Unfortunately, rooster isn't all that bright and he forgets to make plans for basic necessities like food and shelter. So when the sun goes down rooster and his new friends are cold and hungry. They all begin to complain. Soon, rooster's fair weather friends begin to desert him (the turtle's even leave without bothering to say goodbye!). Before long poor defeated rooster is left all alone. A dejected rooster ponders his mistakes, takes a short nap and heads back out to his cozy home without seeing much of the world at all and the book comes to an end.

Both of my kids lingered on each beautiful page instead of rushing along to see what happens next in the story as they usually do. My sensitive four year old said she felt very sad when this story came to its end because Rooster's so-called friends left him alone but my six year old enjoyed it. He particularly enjoyed counting all of roosters new friends who appeared in little boxes in the upper corner of each page and said he'd like to read it again so it's a keeper for my son, anyway. ~ Laurie Shallah

A Book Children Love
The book "Rooster's Off to See the World" by Eric Carle is a great book for childern. It gives them a chance to read and have fun at the same time. It has colorful pictures and also is a good reader for kids to read on their own. It also helps your childern count by knowing what number of animals is going to come next. When I was young I owned this book and I always enjoyed to read it, and I think its a great book to read to your children.

A book that children enjoy.
Extremely fun to read with your child before bed. The entire collection of books by Eric Carle provide many hours of stimulation. This book provides a colorful way to teach counting skills to very young children. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

More than just pictures!
I picked up this book, expecting to find essentially a picture book. However, this book is so much more...and it is lovely.

The book begins with an introduction by Leonard Marcus, the children's book reviewer for Parenting Magazine and a well-known book critic and historian.

Following this is an autobiography with many personal photos. I found the story of Carle's early years interesting: how he was born in the United States but then his parents returned to Germany when he was six. His father was drafted into the German army during World War II and Carle never saw him again for 8 years, when he emerged from a Russian POW camp weighing 80 pounds. Carle was a lackluster student, mainly because his creativity was stifled, but he did have some empathetic art teachers in Germany. In his early 20s he returned to the U.S. where he was promptly drafted into the army!

The next section of this book was by Ann Beneduce, the first editor to publish Carle's work. She first commissioned him to illustrate a cookbook. After that, she decided to publish his first book "1,2,3 to the Zoo" but could find no one in the United States who could satisfactorily produce it, so she had it done in Japan.

Next, Viktor Christen, a German editor, wrote about Carle's vision and what it means to children.

Takeshi Matsumoto, the director of an art museum for picture books in Japan, wrote an essay about Carle's use of color.

The text of a speech, entitled "Where Do Ideas Come From?", given by Carle at the Library of Congress was the next section of this book. He gave this speech to librarians and educators in 1990 at the International Children's Book Day Celebration.

Next was a photo essay on his technique of paper coloring and collaging, which also explained why he colors white tissue paper rather than buying pre-colored papers (they fade with age).

Lastly was a section of illustrations from his books, in chronological order. I found it interesting to see how his art had changed and become much more detailed in 30 years.

Eric Carle's books "do special things" read all about them!
Inspiration is the first word that comes to mind after reading about Eric Carle's successful life as an author and illustrator. This book contains information about his childhood, his books, but most important his art. I especially enjoyed reading the section about where he gets his ideas. What is so special about Eric Carle's books? Many people all over the world could answer that question. My favorite answer is from a little boy named Paul, he said: "One reason I like your books is they do special things." ... Read more

Book Description

String beans, spaghetti, ZOOOOP, roast beef, fresh fish, chicken and ice cream are the delicious fare during the week in this popular children's song. Until Sunday. Then, all the world's children are invited to come together and share in the meal. Celebrated artist Eric Carle brings new energy to these much-loved verses as lively animals parade across the page, munching on favorite dishes, and introducing young readers to the names of the days of the week. Both art and song invite children to join in the procession and sing along. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bizzare fun
This book is a little bizarre. The foods chosen include a chicken that looks alive as it goes down, BUT it's a fun book with the colorful, creative illustrations that are the author's trademark. I highly recommend it since it had my toddler glued!

Today is Monday
This is cute book that teaches the days of the week with different foods in the form of a story and a song. It also uses different animals and the text is repetitive. Note to teacher: This can be used to teach math skills, different animals ,and foods. The repetitive text builds memory and can implement body movement.

A keeper for your child's library.
My Daughter and I love this book. It helps her remember the days of the week. We giggle and laugh and sing out the words. I highly recommend this book for any child just learning to read. ... Read more

Book Description

Draw me a star. And the artist drew a star. It was a good star. Draw me a sun, said the star. And the artist drew a sun.And on the artist draws, bringing the world to life picture by beautiful picture until he is spirited across the night sky by a star that shines on all he has made. In Draw Me a Star, Eric Carle celebrates the imagination in all of us with a beguiling story about a young artist who creates a world of light and possibility.A remarkable, quintessentially simple book encompassing Creation, creativity, and the cycle of life within the eternal. -- Kirkus Reviews, pointer reviewThis book will appeal to readers of all ages. An inspired book in every sense of the word. -- School Library JournalA fable about the passage through life and its fullness ofpossibilities, children will like the cumulative effects of the tale, the creation of the world through paints, and Carle'scollages flaring with rainbow hues. --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books ... Read more

Reviews (5)

beautiful
This book is simply perfect. The artwork is wonderful(and very appropriate for children... I wonder if parents shy away from it because there is a drawing of a "naked" man and woman standing next to each other? If so, they are missing out on so much) and the story brings tears to my eyes with its simplicity. It is beautiful.

Good but somewhat inappropriate.
I trully love the works of Eric Carle. However, in this instance I do not believe this is a book that should be labeled for sale to ages 4-8. I am a preschool teacher and believe the graphics could have been more appropriately drawn to make this excellent story suitable for all ages. I love the storyline and the graphics in general. I was disappointed by the "graphic" nature of the book when it is supposed to be for children of the stated age range.

Excellence at many levels
This one of Eric Carle's best works, and can be enjoyed by many ages and at many levels. First, there's the art, which is as bright and bold as his later works (Papa get me the Moon, and Slowly Slowly Slowly Said the Sloth). I think that the rainbow picture in this book would make an excellent print, as well as the flying Artist and star page.

Then there's the simple story of creatures asking for other creatures to be made with child-like associations (dog asks for a cat, cat asks for a bird, bird asks for a butterfly), and the neat cycle of starting and ending with a star.

Then there's the whole creation myth aspect. Not "The Creation Myth" which starts with darkness, but one that starts with the need to create the heavens; darkness comes much later in this story. The Artist ages as the world is being created. Could he be the embodiment of Time itself?

Or is the Artist Mr. Carle? I cannot read this without wondering if Mr. Carle is contemplating his life and work. If so, Mr. Carle, grab that star.

A Heads Up for Parents
I am an enthusiastic fan of Eric Carle's work, and found this book to be unique, touching, and beautiful in its craft. However, when I read it through for the fist time with my two-year-old, I was surprised and a little uncomfortable when we turned a page and found a man and woman introduced to the story completely in the nude and basically anatomically correct! The pictures were tastefully drawn, inoffensive, and certainly appropriate in a creation story, but I wasn't expecting a variance from the usual tunic or fig leaf covering in that is usually present in such stories when the book is directed toward a young audience. Personally, I could have used a forewarning to prepare myself with positive and fitting responses to my child's natural curiosity. Whatever your comfort level is with nudity in art for children, it might be helpful to you to know it is there.

A joy for both parents and children to read.
This book is like a spirtual description of how life began, written at a child's level but inspirational to adults, as well. It also includes a drawing exercise from Eric Carle, as well as a personal letter to his readers at the end of the book. And of course, it is beautifully illustrated. ... Read more

Book Description

Learn the art of collage from world-famous children's author and artist Eric Carle.Comes with 72 sheets of beautifully printed tissue, each an original design painted by Eric Carle himself. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

buy this for the paper
this book assumes that you already know how to use scissors and glue. the rest is up to you! without giving heavy handed instruction, it lets kids (and adults) use their imagination to make what ever they like. the paper included is beautiful. in my mind, it's the whole reason for buying the book. you can make illustrations (collages) just like eric carle's. thanks to him for providing all his fans with this great pad of paper.

A Total Disappointment!
Don't bother with this book, you'll be disappointed. The only thing worth while about this are the few sheets of decorative tissue paper that come with it. I know nothing more about collage after reading this book then before I bought it. Do yourself a favor and DON'T waste your time or money on this. There are MUCH more informative books out there.

Not Just for Kids!
I was looking for a very elementary, how-to collage book for myself and this is a good one.

Because Carle wrote and stocked this book for children, it is very basic, but that was what I needed to get me over my fear of trying a collage of my own. His explanation of the format and process was very simple but very thorough. There are enough colors and designs of tissue papers to get anyone off to a good start in creating several different collages.

I think this would be a great gift for children and even for an adult who yearns to find the artist within!

Fun Project for Kids!
When I put this book on my wish list months ago, I had never seen the book before. Now that I have the book, I can say that this is an excellent gift for a gradeschool aged child, and the tissue paper that it comes with is beautiful. As someone who loves the art of Eric Carle, I thought it was fun to work with paper similar to the materials that he uses in his art. The instructions are so easy, and with a touch of supervision, this book could easily turn a rainy day into a fun and creative project. This book would be especially good for those children who have read Eric Carle's picture books.

makes a lovely rainy day activity book
Beside instructions and illustrations on how to do a collage, the book also contains 72 printed tissue papers to make finished pictures that look enough like Eric Carle's work to please any child. My five year old was delighted with her projects. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Goethe (1749-1832) is celebrated as a great German poet, novelist, and philosopher. But in his eyes, color theory was his most significant achievement. In 1810 Goethe published Farbenlehre, naming three primary colors--red, blue, and yellow--from which all other colors could be made, and claiming that each color had an opposite, or complementary, color. But how does this relate to well-loved artist Eric Carle's Hello, Red Fox? Well, it's like this. On his special birthday, Little Frog's friends--Red Fox, Purple Butterfly, Orange Cat, and others--begin to arrive at his house for a party. Imagine Mama Frog's surprise when she perceives Red Fox as green, Purple Butterfly as yellow, and so on.Each time, Little Frog gently points out that she simply hasn't stared at each animal long enough to see his or her "true color."

At the beginning of the book, readers are instructed to stare for ten seconds at the boldly colored animal on the left side of the spread, then transfer their unblinking gaze (more like glaze at this point) to the blank white page on the right. If they do that successfully, a shadowy image of the animal appears in its complementary color! Young kids may think this is magic, but actually the phenomenon taking place between the eye and the brain is called "simultaneous contrast after-image." No matter what you call it, it's amazing and fun to behold! The story itself is simple and deliberately repetitive, appealing to very young children, but the optical illusions will be a hit with all ages. Carle's bold collage illustrations are perfect for this playful spin around the color wheel, which ends with the green Little Frog turning red when Mama Frog kisses him in front of all of his friends. (Ages 4 to 8). Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A Frog's Birthday
Hello Red Fox, by Eric Carle is a story about a frog's birthday. He invites all his friends. When his friend arrives at his house his mom says,'' Your not a red fox your a green fox.'' '' Your not looking close enough, he is a red fox not a green'' said the birthday frog. Read this book to find out what happens to the other friends.

Hello, Red Fox
Hello, Red Fox was about a little frog that was having a birthday party. So of course he told his mom all his friends that he wanted to invite. Some of hid friends were Red Fox, Purple Butterfly, Orange cat, and Green Snake, but when they arrived at the party their was a problem Red Fox was green, Purple Butterfly was yellow, Orange Cat was blue, and green snake was red! What was wrong? I liked this book because it was fun to read and had bright pictures. It also teaches children readers about their colors and to not always judge someone by how they look. I recommend this book for kids ages 2-5.

The Green Fox Is Red
Hello, Red Fox by Eric Carle I felt was a very well written book. When animals from all over the forest get together for a party, held by the frogs mom for his birthday, frogs mom couldn't understand why all his friends had colors for names but were different colors. When red fox showed up frogs mom said no this fox is green. This is why the book is cool. On the cover the fox was green, but when you open the book it gives you directions. If you look at the black dot in the middle of the page for about 10-15 seconds without breaking concentration and then you look to the next page which is white and let your eyes focus you will see a red fox if you were looking at the green fox with the dot in the middle. This book is great for children because it keeps their attention and it can involve participation of the audience for those who get restless. Overall I give this book a 4 star rating because the interaction part may be hard for some but once you get it down, this book rocks.

great
This book is excellent for young readers. It not only has an interesting story plot for children, but it alows them to participate in the story. The techniques Eric Carle used were wonderful and creative. It allows children to learn about colors and little tricks of the eye! Little frog is having a birthday party and while telling his mom who he is inviting we all learn something quite interesting. This is definately a great choice to read, it is interesting for children, and even adults!

Hello Red Fox
The author of Hello Red Fox did a very good job keeping the audiences attention, especially when keeping young childrens attention is hard. He used techniques like involving the reader in the story by staring at a picture with a dot then staring at a blank page and seeing that same object but in a different color. Very cool! Kids love that kind of stuff, so i strongley encourage you to get out and read it with your kids! ... Read more