THE VERY BUSY SPIDER: This book makes use of texture. Kids like
me can actually feel and touch the spider, its web, the fly. It
teaches kids about different animals (horse, cow, sheep, goat,
pig, dog, cat, duck, rooster, owl), the sounds that they make and
what they do - spiders spin webs, pigs roll in the mud, etc.,
etc. My busy Mommy swears though that the lesson here is when one
perseveres and works non-stop, one can accomplish one's goal.
Then again, it can also make you very tired and sleepy...
THE VERY QUIET CRICKET: This book makes use of sound. Don't let
the title fool you. There is a surprising twist at the end of the
book when the little cricket who couldn't make a sound all
throughout, chirps the most beautiful sound which kids can
actually hear. Want to learn about different insects? This is
the book for you. You will learn about insects your parents don't
usually talk about like a spittlebug or a luna moth (Dai-moth to
me at first, my parents were Voltes V addicts, you see). The book
also teaches you about different verbs - insects chirp, whisper,
crunch, slurp, screech, hum, buzz, sail all throughout the book.
Now is this book filled with action or what? My sometimes quiet
Mommy states though that the lesson here is you cannot really
rush things like growing up which will allow you to do certain
things. She also says that finding the right partner can bring
out the best in you. Then again, about the second lesson, I think
she's just thinking about herself and my dad...
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR: This book has holes -- the
caterpillar eats through several food items and the holes give
the impression of the caterpillar actually moving from food to
food and even eating through the pages of the book. Kids learn
about different fruits, number, and the days of the week. My
food-lover of a mom reflects that the lesson here is not to
over-eat lest you get a tummy ache. Looking back to her
experience, I believe her...
THE MIXED-UP CHAMELEON: This book has uneven pages. Each spread
shows an animal and the color of the animal that the chameleon is
trying to imitate. As you go through reading the book, more
animals and more colors appear on the uneven pages facing each
other. As you might have guessed, the book teaches about animals
again (polar bear, flamingo, fox, fish, deer, giraffe, turtle,
elephant, seal, and even people this time), their characteristics
or what they're known for, and colors. My organized mom teaches
though that the lesson here is to be yourself and to be happy
with who you are and what you have. With my parents, how can I
not be happy?
Have I convinced you enough? Take it from me, you'll enjoy Eric
Carle's books. I myself am still looking out for The Lonely
Firefly - the book with the tiny bulbs which light up in the end
, this time... Happy reading!
What makes Eric Carle's books interesting and why would I recommend it to fellow kids? The artwork is different, (and you really have to get hold of one book at least to understand what I mean) to say the least. "Cute" pictures do not an Eric Carle book make. The books also make use of repetition and parallel sentence construction a lot. This makes it easier then for kids to understand and learn the concepts taught in the book. Kids will likewise learn more than two concepts in each book. Parents can also pick up a thing or two. Now, on to the individual book write-ups...