Celebrating Eric Carle’s Birthday

By Gabriela Capodieci | May 5 2026 | Elementary Education

In celebration of award-winning author and illustrator Eric Carle, best known for his iconic works The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Very Busy Spider, we have selected a list of his bestsellers as well as fun activities for the classroom! These books are ideal for young readers with simple to read sentences while still detailing an engaging story to capture their attention.

Born June 25th, Eric Carle’s fascination with various aspects of nature translated into his early works. His love of nature, vivid colors, and his signature collage technique—all characteristics of his children’s picture books—are evident in his early professional work. With his background as an art director, Carle had an eye for capturing those who viewed his work.

For our full Eric Carle collection, you may view here.

Watch our friends at Brightly read some of Eric Carle’s books aloud on their Brightly Storytime YouTube!

Watch Brightly Storytime: A Very Special Eric Carle Birthday Celebration for an hour of reading Eric Carle titles! View here.

Check out fun classroom activities here!

Visit Eric Carle’s website here!

9780399226908
THE ICONIC #1 BESTSELLER • The all-time classic starring the world’s favorite caterpillar! This beautiful, sturdy board book is a perfect gift for new babies, baby showers, birthdays, and other new beginnings!One of The Atlantic’s 65 Essential Children’s Books“Gorgeously illustrated, brilliantly innovative.”—The New York Times Book ReviewIn the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf. One Sunday morning the warm sun came up and—pop!—out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.So begins the journey of Eric Carle’s most beloved storybook character. Follow along as one of nature’s loveliest marvels eats his way through an amazing variety of foods as he prepares to grow into a beautiful butterfly! Children will love the strikingly bold, colorful pictures against a simple text in large, clear type. Featuring interactive die-cut pages, this board book is the perfect size for little hands and great for teaching counting, days of the week, and the concept of change as a positive and necessary part of life.
$10.99 US
Mar 23, 1994
Board Book
26 Pages
World of Eric Carle
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780399229190
From bestselling author and illustrator Eric Carle, the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, comes another classic tale about one very busy spider. A perfect gift to share with the child or grandchild in your life.Early one morning a little spider spins her web on a fence post. One by one, the animals of the nearby farm try to distract her, yet the busy little spider keeps diligently at her work. When she is done, she is able to show everyone that not only is her creation quite beautiful, it is also quite useful!This multi-sensory board book allows children to feel the pictures as well as see them, and is the perfect size for little hands. With its rhythmic text, The Very Busy Spider becomes an experience to touch, to see, and to hear."A beautifully executed work for the very young that satisfies the needs of both visually handicapped and sighted children without losing its artistic integrity."—The Horn Book, starred review"Both sighted and blind children will follow the action with ease . . . Visually and verbally, this is a winner."—Booklist, starred review.
$11.99 US
Aug 16, 1995
Board Book
32 Pages
World of Eric Carle
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780399226847
From bestselling author and illustrator Eric Carle, the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, comes another classic tale about one very quiet cricket. A perfect gift to share with the child or grandchild in your life.One day a tiny cricket is born and meets a big cricket who chirps his welcome. The tiny cricket tries to respond, but there is no sound. The quiet cricket then makes his way into the world, meeting one insect after another, each of whom greets the little cricket with a cheery hello--the hum of a bee, the whirr of a dragonfly, the whisper of a praying mantis. The cricket rubs his wings together each time, but nothing happens, not a sound. Until the day he meets another cricket, a female, and something different happens . . .As children turn the page on this wonderful moment, they are greeted with a surprise--an actual chirp! This board book edition is the perfect size for little hands. Full of Eric Carle's gorgeous and lush collage art, a gentle rhythmic text for read-alouds, and a wonder-inducing surprise at the end, The Very Quiet Cricket remains an all-time favorite from one of the true masters of picture-book making.Batteries are replaceable. Please use two 1.5 volt L1131 button cell batteries.
$15.99 US
May 19, 1997
Board Book
24 Pages
World of Eric Carle
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780593754856
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is the star of this collection of stories that can each be read aloud in five minutes or less!
$14.99 US
Sep 17, 2024
Hardcover
160 Pages
World of Eric Carle
World

9780593750223
Learn why the wind blows with the help of The Very Hungry Caterpillar!
$5.99 US
Feb 11, 2025
Board Book
10 Pages
World of Eric Carle
World

9798217141760
Let’s have a tea party with The Very Hungry Caterpillar!
$10.99 US
Apr 28, 2026
Board Book
14 Pages
World of Eric Carle
World

9798217246717
Celebrate your beloved dog friend with The Very Hungry Caterpillar in this mini hardcover book featuring Eric Carle's delightful illustrations!
$9.99 US
Dec 15, 2026
Hardcover
32 Pages
World of Eric Carle
World