Count with the Very Hungry Caterpillar (with Giant Reusable Stickers) by Eric Carle

I absolutely love Eric Carle as I’m sure lots of other parents and teachers do, too. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a staple in all preschools and bookshelves across the globe. But when you go to the bookstore, you’ll notice that the book is so popular, there are so many different versions of it! I’ve been on the lookout for the original version for so long, but I still haven’t found it. Then I came across this one.  

My husband and I were going to Boracay with my two-year-old daughter early this year and I wanted to get her something to do on the plane. When I came across this version of the book, I knew I had hit upon a winner! It wasn’t just a new book for her to read, but a book with something for her to do—stick stickers and contribute to bringing the story to life.

Though the plane ride to Boracay is just about an hour, it’s not easy for toddlers to sit still with nothing much to keep them occupied save for the clouds outside the window. So when I brought out the book and showed her that she could put the stickers on each page to complete the illustrations, she was so excited. We read the story over and over again till the caterpillar became a beautiful butterfly. She thoroughly enjoyed sticking all the different fruits and counting them too.

Now whenever we read the book, besides loving the story itself, my daughter also loves the idea that she helped complete the pages of the book—which makes this version one of my favorites as well.