First Spring

by Eric Carle

There are so many ways to spend a bright spring day. Join The Very Hungry Caterpillar and explore everything the season has to offer!

Celebrate spring with The Very Hungry Caterpillar and his friends in this exploration of the season. Young readers can learn all about seasonal sensory experiences, like watching clouds change shapes, feeling cool rain on your skin, sniffing fresh blooming flowers, and so much more!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Nature

16 pages, Board book

First published February 15, 2022

About the author

Eric Carle was an American author, designer and illustrator of children's books. His picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, first published in 1969, has been translated into more than 66 languages and sold more than 50 million copies. Carle's career as an illustrator and children's book author accelerated after he collaborated on Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?. Carle illustrated more than 70 books, most of which he also wrote, and more than 145 million copies of his books have been sold around the world.
In 2003, the American Library Association awarded Carle the biennial Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal (now called the Children's Literature Legacy Award), a prize for writers or illustrators of children's books published in the U.S. who have made lasting contributions to the field. Carle was also a U.S. nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2010.

Reviews

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute book with a great Spring story. I loved explaining the pictures to Madison and she helped turn the pages 🥰🥰

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't believe that this book was actually written by Eric Carle, even though the Goodreads entry states "by Eric Carle." Short poems on each page of this brief book state something about spring. The artwork is certainly in the style of Eric Carle, but I'm not sure whether he actually made the collages in the book. The Very Hungry Caterpillar can be found somewhere on each page, although it is not really hidden. It remains a caterpillar throughout. This is a cute enough book for those who cannot get enough of the little pre-butterfly.

[Canette Arille · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about a very hungry caterpillar - his first spring. A rhyming story. You can see a very hungry caterpillar in various places, for example on the umbrella. There's plenty to do on a sunny spring day. The whole book is about spring. The cover attracted me to read this book, but honestly, I expected more. I'm a little disappointed, but the kids will be happy. Because this is not a book for adults, but for children :)

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Come join the Hungry Caterpillar as he shows you lots of fun times during springtime. A rhyming text accompanies the Eric Carle illustrations. Be sure to look closely to find Hungry Caterpillar in every double board illustration.
I enjoyed the cross section illustration of the vegetables growing in the soil.

[Kate M. Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack and I got a library card for our new library in Canal Winchester, and this is one of the first books we borrowed. He loves everything to do with this caterpillar and had fun spotting him on the pages. Jack seemed to like all the spring activities and was especially excited to see the rain and rainbow at the end.

[Emma platek · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s very simple and a cute book. It has great illustrations and pictures to go along with the rhymes on the page. Children can see and learn about spring and how leaves change colors, rain, and other weather or things about spring time.

[Emma Platek · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's very simple and a cute book. It has great illustrations and pictures to go along with the rhymes on the page. Children can see and learn about spring and how leaves change colors, rain, and other weather or things about spring time.

[Alysa Fenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book with pages of spring time scenes where you can find the very hungry caterpillar on the various pages. Fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar will enjoy this book!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddie wanted to read all of these about TVHC.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

The humans in this book are very strange looking.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and helped Momma turn the pages! She explained to me what everyone was doing on each page.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book about what happens in spring time.

[Library To-Go]

04/26/23 PediaTrust story time - AZ

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be good for preschool music.

[Andrés · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhymes are pretty good, and color pallets are cheerful. The book will prompt lots of discussion of springtime activities!

[Cheyenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, and I liked the rhymes.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute! 2 year old liked it too

[Carm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this was a library book we rented. You cannot go wrong with Eric Carle is what I have learned. I do not own very many books that help us talk through spring and this book does a great job.

[Vivian McCrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the art for the plants and animals, but some of the people are a little freaky looking.

[Natasha Guindon · Rating 4 out of 5]

My last favorite of the 4, but still good.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Very Hungry Caterpillar's First Spring is a sequel of sorts to The Very Hungry Caterpillar. However, it doesn't focus on the caterpillar in any way. The only real mention of it is in the illustrations. You could make a game of trying to find the caterpillar, but that's about it.

As for the book, it provides a dynamic introduction to spring. It engages the different senses: seeing clouds in the sky, feeling the coldness of rain, listening to the buzz buzz of bees, smelling flowers, and eating vegetables. I really liked this, and all while maintaining the rhyme. Impressive.

Recommended age: 1-3 years

Writing style: This book is written in rhyme, but unlike many similar books, some of the rhymes are questions or exclamations. For instance, "But wait! What's that sound?" This creates a dynamic reading experience, and sound words are incorporated throughout.

Lexile range (unofficial): 410L - 600L
Decoding difficulty: 3/5
Vocabulary difficulty: 4/5
Sentences difficulty: 5/5
Patterns difficulty: 5/5

Illustration style: Eric Carle has a distinctive illustration style created from a collage of bright-colored hand-cut paper. As a bonus, the hungry little caterpillar can be found on each 2-page spread.

Reality-based: Yes. This book outlines the transition to spring and various features someone would see in it, such as rain, flowers, vegetable gardens, and trees sprouting leaves.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

These "Caterpillar's First" books get the job done, but they are kind of dull.
If you want a simple book that is interactive, choose Mouse's First Spring

[Kenzie Hulsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very Hungry Caterpillars First Spring by Eric Carle was published in 2022! This book takes the reader on the caterpillars journey in seeing spring. With wonderful illustrations this book is captivating. This is under the visual elements part of our book log! Ages 3-6. 5/5

[Ophelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

learning about spring!!