If you’re a Mom, it’s unlikely that you’re a stranger to Eric Carle, the renowned author and illustrator known for his captivating children’s books. From the iconic “Caterpillar Book” to a collection of over 70 other enchanting stories, Eric Carle has captured the hearts of children and parents alike. As we celebrate his birthday today, we’re excited to present a curated selection of the top 10 Eric Carle books for toddlers, accompanied by delightful crafts that your little ones can enjoy. Let’s embark on a journey through the colorful world of Eric Carle, where imagination knows no bounds.
Here are a few facts about Eric Carle:
- He moved to the U.S. with just 40$ in his pocket
- He served in the army during the Korean War.
- He has founded a museum dedicated to art in children’s books
- Google featured a special doodle to celebrate The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s 40th anniversary
Top 10 Eric Carle Books for Toddlers
1. The Mixed Up Chameleon
Step into the whimsical world of “The Mixed Up Chameleon” and embark on an enchanting adventure. Join the curious chameleon as it discovers the beauty of embracing its uniqueness in a world full of transformations. With vibrant illustrations and a captivating storyline, this beloved book is a must-have in Eric Carle’s collection for little readers.
2. Have you Seen My Cat?
Being one of the beloved books by Eric Carle, “Have You Seen My Cat?” takes young readers on an adventurous search for a missing feline friend. With delightful surprises along the way, this captivating story is perfect for kids of all ages.
3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?
Experience the wonder of “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” – an endearing Eric Carle book for toddlers. Join the brown bear on an exciting journey as he encounters a variety of colorful animals. With its delightful text and vibrant illustrations, this book is sure to captivate young readers, including those under the age of one.
To complement this beloved story, My Little Me offers an adorable craft activity. While adult supervision is required, little ones can participate in gathering the right colors of crayons and sticking them to create the finished bear.
4. The Tiny Seed
A lovely story about the circle of life, The Tiny Seed is also a great book on what happens in nature. A tiny seed gets separated from its parent – what’s going to happen to it now?
While Eric Carle’s art work itself is beautiful, this craft from A Little Pinch of Perfect is just as good! This activity involves potato stamping, an easy and fun activity perfect even for young toddlers. There are also free printables for older kids to work on.
5. The Very Quiet Cricket
A little cricket is happy – till he loses his song, that is. What follows is his search for his song, and he seeks help from other members of the insect community for it. The story offers a lovely look at the world of insects and shows kids that no matter how tiny, they’re all still God’s creatures!
If your child was impressed by the cricket, try making this cute paper plate cricket craft from Glued to My Crafts. Made with colored paper and card stock, this craft is great for cutting and sticking practice for young and older toddlers alike.
6. The Very Lonely Firefly
A firefly is an insect that’ll intrigue any child with it’s unique glowing body. The firefly in the story has a glow too, but unfortunately, he can’t find anyone else who has it! His search introduces him to a variety of glowing objects, till he finds what he’s looking for! Kids will be able to identify several common animals and objects in the book and will be happy for the firefly at the end!
Now it’s time to make your own firefly, and one that glows in the dark as well! I Heart Arts n Crafts has a cute firefly craft made of handprints and glow paint that toddlers will love!
7. The Bad Tempered Ladybird
Indulge in the captivating tale of “The Bad Tempered Ladybird,” one of the beloved Eric Carle books for toddlers. Join the ladybird on a journey of self-discovery as it learns valuable lessons about anger and friendship. Complement the story with a delightful ladybird craft from Rainy Day Mum, perfectly designed to capture the essence of the original character. Whether using a split pin or opting for an alternative, this engaging craft will bring the story to life and serve as a cherished reminder of the important themes explored in the book.
8. The Very Busy Spider
This is another amazing Eric Carle book for toddlers as well as babies, so siblings can share! The book is a touch-feel kind, so infants will enjoy feeling the story as you read about a little spider who carefully, persistently builds his web from scratch. Kids can see how the spider keeps progressing, never tiring on the way. A lovely story about commitment and hard work.
Recreate the spider’s journey of building his web with this fun craft from Kidz Activities. This is a great fine motor skill building activity for older toddlers and preschoolers who can have a lot of fun stringing their own web – with a little spider by their side, of course!
9. Little Cloud
Step into the enchanting world of “Little Cloud,” a unique addition in Eric Carle’s library. Surprisingly, the main character is not a living being but a cloud with its own endearing personality. You can’t help but fall in love with Little Cloud as it happily transforms from one shape to another, showcasing the limitless possibilities of imagination.
Accompanied by this delightful story is a fantastic craft idea featured at I Can Teach My Child. It’s a simple yet exciting activity that even the little ones can enjoy. All you need is some shaving cream, glue, and blue paper to create your own cloud in any shape you desire. This open-ended project is perfect for encouraging creativity and providing endless fun for toddlers.
10. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Now you simply can’t have a list of books by Eric Carle and not include the Hungry Caterpillar! I’m sure you’re already familiar with the story of the hungry little green caterpillar, who eats his way through an assortment of foods – both healthy and unhealthy! This evergreen book never loses its charm and is valuable to teach kids about what foods are good for them and which ones are not.
Since this is one book you’ll be reading a lot, we suggest making a finger puppet to act out the scenes, like this one from Read and Create. You can keep it in a special place and take it out only when reading this book – this should make any kid a fan of reading!
All the books mentioned here are available on Amazon India; just click the title to go directly to the product page. Many of them are available as both paperbacks and board books, so take your pick depending upon the age of your child and the roughhousing you expect it to take! Most of the crafts require just basic supplies, so you don’t have to go out to buy anything fancy. Just read your book, gather your craft stuff and start making!
You might also be interested in our post 27 Wonderful Wooden Toys for 1 to 3 year olds – Safe, Non Toxic, and Full of Fun & Learning
Leave a Reply