The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

CARLE, Eric.

Item Number: 139622

Cleveland: World Publishing, 1969.

First edition, first printing of Carle’s most recognizable work (with an unclipped dust jacket and with the complete number line 1-5 on the copyright page and A3450 on the rear board) in an exceptionally rare unclipped dust jacket with two paragraphs on the front flap, photograph of Carle with his two children to the rear flap with blurb mentioning only his first book, “1,2,3 to the Zoo”, The World Publishing Company New York and Cleveland at bottom of both flaps and A3450 on rear flap (Grolier). Oblong quarto, original illustrated boards. Signed by Eric Carle on the title page with an original drawing of a caterpillar. Fine in a fine dust jacket with $4.25 on the top flap and $3.97 on the bottom flap. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Signed first editions are exceedingly rare, with only a handful of un-clipped dust jackets known.

"Eric 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" (Silvey, 120). The Very Hungry Caterpillar was originally published in 1969 and has since sold over 30 million copies and was voted the number two children's picture book in a 2012 survey of School Library Journal readers.