The Very Hungry Caterpillar's First Spring is a sequel of sorts to The Very Hungry Caterpillar. However, it doesn't focus on the caterpillar in any way. The only real mention of it is in the illustrations. You could make a game of trying to find the caterpillar, but that's about it.

As for the book, it provides a dynamic introduction to spring. It engages the different senses: seeing clouds in the sky, feeling the coldness of rain, listening to the buzz buzz of bees, smelling flowers, and eating vegetables. I really liked this, and all while maintaining the rhyme. Impressive.

Recommended age: 1-3 years

Writing style: This book is written in rhyme, but unlike many similar books, some of the rhymes are questions or exclamations. For instance, "But wait! What's that sound?" This creates a dynamic reading experience, and sound words are incorporated throughout.

Lexile range (unofficial): 410L - 600L
Decoding difficulty: 3/5
Vocabulary difficulty: 4/5
Sentences difficulty: 5/5
Patterns difficulty: 5/5

Illustration style: Eric Carle has a distinctive illustration style created from a collage of bright-colored hand-cut paper. As a bonus, the hungry little caterpillar can be found on each 2-page spread.

Reality-based: Yes. This book outlines the transition to spring and various features someone would see in it, such as rain, flowers, vegetable gardens, and trees sprouting leaves. ( )