The Short Version
If your little reader loves The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I have six picture books for you.
They are all spoiler free, and they share what makes Eric Carle’s book work: bold pictures, a pattern a toddler can predict, and a story short enough for one more read.
Let’s start with the closest one.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Number one is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See, by Bill Martin Junior, with pictures by Eric Carle, from nineteen sixty seven.
A brown bear sees a red bird, who sees a yellow duck, who sees a blue horse, and so on down the line. Every page asks the same question, and every page answers it.
It is the earlier cousin of our caterpillar, with the same colorful collage style. And it is the best book on the list for the youngest babies, because the rhythm is so strong.
Dear Zoo
Number two is Dear Zoo, by Rod Campbell, from nineteen eighty two.
A child writes to the zoo asking for a pet. The zoo sends one animal after another, and every one is wrong: too big, too tall, too fierce. You lift a flap on each page to see which animal is inside the crate.
It has the same joy of repetition. It is a lift the flap book, so toddlers love it, though the flaps do need gentle hands.
The Grouchy Ladybug
Number three is The Grouchy Ladybug, also by Eric Carle, from nineteen seventy seven.
A ladybug wakes up in a very bad mood and goes looking for a fight, and she meets bigger and bigger animals through the day. The book follows the clock, so it is a good one for learning to tell time, in a simple way.
It is longer and a little more serious than the caterpillar. If your child is nearly four and wants more story, this is a great next step.
Goodnight Moon
Number four is Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, with pictures by Clement Hurd, from nineteen forty seven.
A little bunny says goodnight to everything in the great green room, one thing at a time. The words are quiet and the pictures are soft, which makes it the opposite of the caterpillar in mood.
That is why I put it on the list. After a bright, busy reading, this is the one to end the night with, and it has stayed a bedtime favorite for generations.
Where’s Spot?
Number five is Where’s Spot, by Eric Hill, from nineteen eighty.
Spot the puppy is missing, and his mother goes looking. She looks all over the house, and you lift a flap to look in each place. It is the first of many Spot books.
The story is almost nothing, but the searching is the point. It is a great pick for toddlers who like to do things with their hands, just like the holes in the caterpillar.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Number six is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin Junior and John Archambault, from nineteen eighty nine.
The alphabet letters race each other up a coconut tree. The pictures are bold collage, by Lois Ehlert, and the rhyme is made to be chanted aloud.
If the caterpillar taught your child to count, this is the book that can start the alphabet, and it is a terrific one for preschool age children.
Which One First
So which one should you pick up first?
For a baby, Brown Bear. For a toddler who loves flaps, Dear Zoo or Where’s Spot. For bedtime, Goodnight Moon. For a four year old who wants more story, The Grouchy Ladybug. And for early letters, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.
If you want my honest take on the caterpillar itself, my review is linked in the description, and the ending explained video has the light hearted spoilers. Tell me in the comments, which one is your child’s favorite?
