Review: The Very Quiet Cricket

The Very Quiet Cricket

Written and illustrated by Eric Carle

Publication Date: 1990

Publisher: Philomel Books

ISBN: 0-399-21885-8

Summary/back cover:

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 not a sound. And so the quiet cricket makes his way in the world, meeting one insect after another who greets the cricket with the cheery hello of its species – the hum of the bee, the whirr of the dragonfly, the screech of the cicada. Finally it matures and meets a female cricket who evokes from the quiet cricket “the most beautiful sound that she had ever heard!”

The trouble with Eric Carle books is that once you’ve read The Very Hungry Caterpillar all his other stories are disappointing, by comparison – even if the books are really good, as the The Very Quiet Cricket is.

The story is sweet, the admiration Carle has for insects is ever-present, and the pictures are in beautiful Carle-style. The colours and writing aren’t quite as rich as in The Very Hungry Caterpillar, however, and The Very Quiet Cricket lacks the charm of the “caterpillar” holes and layered pages of fruit. There-in lies the problem with the book – the undeniable urge to play comparison with Carle’s best-seller.

The story adds charm by playing a little chirping cricket sound that is only revealed as you get to the last pages. That’s the other problem with the book – the chirping runs on a battery that will ultimately need replacing.

My rating:  3.5 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

by Eric Carle

Publication Date: 2008 edition (first published 1969)

Publisher: Penguin Group

ISBN: 978-0-141-38093-3

Summary/back cover:

“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 famous character, from little egg to beautiful butterfly. With its die-cut pages and vivid collage illustrations, this is a richly satisfying book for children.

Let me start out by saying that there was just about a war between my mother-in-law and myself over who was going to purchase this book for my children. She had always wanted to purchase this book for her grand-kids, and I had always pictured myself buying it for my children. As it turned out, one day my mother, unaware of mine or the other grand-mother’s intentions, laid the tension to rest by returning from a shopping trip with a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the kids.

The beautiful illustrations, the nibbled out holes in the food, the cute story, the fun educational content – what’s not to love about this classic tale? Adults love reading it and children love hearing it and looking at the pictures and trying to poke their tiny little caterpillar-sized fingers through the holes.

This edition comes with a CD version of the story so that older children can read along with Eric Carle. It’s not essential to have the CD but I do enjoy hearing how Carle obviously intended the story to be told, in terms of the rhythm and tone of his voice.

My rating:  5 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Ten Wriggly Wiggly Caterpillars

Ten Wriggly Wiggly Caterpillars

Written and Illustrated by Debbie Tarbett

Publication date: 2005

Publisher: Backpack Books

ISBN: 0-7607-7057-3

Summary:

Ten crunching caterpillars in the bright sunshine.  One fell asleep, so that left... nine!

Follow the adventures of these bright bold 3-D caterpillars in this fun and funky counting book with a surprise pop-up page at the end!

Review:

Another fun book, with the added interest of the 3-D, plastic caterpillars.  We start with 10 and they drop off one by one for different reasons.  But at the end you have a beautiful pop-up illustration of the 10 beautiful butterflies that the caterpillars have become. 

I have to confess to being just as delighted as my little one the first time we read this book and got to the end page and I like seeing first time readers have the same reaction.  The illustrations are bright and very cute, the text is simple and rhyming, but it really is the inclusion of the caterpillars and the end pop-up that makes this quite special.

5/5

Review written by QTCass

Review: Squash the Spider!

Squash the Spider

Written and Illustrated by Nick Ward

Publication date: 2003
Publisher: David Fickling Books
ISBN: 0-385-60374-6

Summary/Back cover:
Squash is a cheeky little spider who loves to jump out and say "BOO!"  Where will Squash turn up next?  In Billy's sandwich?  In the middle of his storybook?  In someone's lunch?
Open the book to find out - but be careful, you never know who's hiding inside!

Review:
The book really appeals to my 2 year old, and he has declared it to be "funny"!  It involves plenty of yelling as the spider leaps out and yells "BOO!" and people shriek and run away.

The illustrations are beautiful, with the spider wearing a cheeky wee grin throughout the book.

Definitely one for the boys, or girls who like noises!

My rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn