Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar has eaten its way into the hearts of millions of children since it was first published in 1969. The iconic picture book was recently released as an e-book for the first time. Featuring an audio reading by Eric Carle himself, the e-book follows the beloved green caterpillar as he eats his way through each day of the week and ultimately transforms into a beautiful butterfly. This is the first book written and illustrated by Eric Carle to be available in e-book format.
Eric Carle said, “I still consider myself a beginner at learning how to use the computer - but I can see how technology and the development of apps, e-books and computers are a part of the evolution of our world. It has been this way since the very beginning. Cave men once wrote stories in pictures on stone; later the book was invented and so on and so forth. So change is inevitable. And I am very pleased and honored that my work is being enjoyed in different formats by so many readers around the world.”
With more than 44 million copies sold, The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been published in 62 languages in a variety of formats including hardcover, board book, oversized board book, Spanish, bilingual, braille, and now e-book. A copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar is sold every 30 seconds somewhere in the world.
Eric Carle has illustrated more than seventy books, many best sellers, most of which he also wrote. More than 138 million copies of his books have sold around the world. In 2002, Eric and his wife Barbara opened The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts.
As the brand licensing agency for The World of Eric Carle, The Joester Loria Group has expanded the Eric Carle brand through a robust brand extension strategy. The global licensing program includes more than 130 consumer products licensees and promotional partners. Available in leading retailers in more than 15 countries, The World of Eric Carle products have won awards and topped sales charts around the world.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s e-book debut was covered by The Washington Post and GalleyCat.