Description

“?BUT HE WAS STILL HUNGRY”: RARE FIRST EDITION OF THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, INSCRIBED BY ERIC CARLE WITH ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATION OF A CATERPILLAR

CARLE, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York and Cleveland: World Publishing Company, (1969). Oblong quarto, original pictorial boards and endpapers, original dust jacket. Housed in a custom clamshell box.

First edition of Carle’s most famous children’s book, boldly inscribed on the title page: “For Rebecca. Eric Carle.” Next to the inscription, Carle has drawn a caterpillar in blue ink.

Carle described the inception of The Very Hungry Caterpillar: “I playfully punched a hole into a stack of papers. I thought, a bookworm at work! Not enough for a book, but, nevertheless, a beginning.” Of its remarkable success, he said, “My editor, my friends, my family, we all have talked about it. I think it’s a book of hope. ‘You, little, insignificant caterpillar or child or baby, can grow up and spread your wings and try your talent and fly all over the world.’ I wonder if that’s it.”

“I believe the passage from home to school is the second biggest trauma of childhood; the first is, of course, being born. Indeed, in both cases we leave a place of warmth and protection for one that is unknown. The unknown often brings fear with it. In my books I try to counteract the fear, to replace it with a positive message” (Carle).

“Carle was one of the first illustrators intrigued with the idea of introducing natural science concepts to young children. The Very Hungry Caterpillar has remained in print for [over] 25 years, attesting to its popularity? [Carle has written,] ‘I would like to be remembered as a picture writer and as someone who has opened a door for children to the world of pictures and words” (Silvey, 120-21). This copy is the rare first printing, with all first edition points. See Cotsen 1871.

Lightest soiling to text pages. Dust jacket with publisher’s original plastic cladding clean and bright, with light rippling to plastic. A near-fine copy, rare and desirable inscribed and with illustration.