This Classic Picture Book Turned 40: Here’s How to Celebrate

HarperKids
Aug 25, 2017 · 3 min read

A 40th birthday can make even the best of us feel a little bit grouchy. This Sunday, one of the most endearing grumps is celebrating her 40th: The Grouchy Ladybug.

As one of Eric Carle’s most beloved picture books, and included in the Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children, her grouchiness has stood the test of time.

With the rise of movies like “Despicable Me” and “Minions,” lovable bad guys are having a moment. While the Ladybug continues her search for a bigger and more worthy opponent to fight, here are 5 grouch-free things you can do this weekend to celebrate one of our favorite book birthdays:

  1. Bake a cake. Here’s an excuse to grab your favorite baking buddy and whip up something sweet. Bonus points if it’s a ladybug cake or ladybug cookies.
  2. Make a collage. Eric Carle uses collages to create his iconic children’s books. He paints tissue paper various colors with acrylic paints. Once the tissue papers are dry, he cuts outs shapes and pastes them onto a poster board to make a picture. Encourage, or work with, your kids to make their own book. You can read more about Carle’s method here.
  3. Go outside and enjoy nature. Even better, find an interesting insect or animal and write a story about it. Many of the themes in Carle’s books stem from his love of nature — a fascination that most kids share.
  4. Practice using a clock. The Grouchy Ladybug picks a fight with a different animal almost every hour (readers can follow along with the clocks on each page). Recent studies have suggested that we now rely so heavily on phones and digital displays of time that many kids no longer know how to read an analog clock face.
  5. Revisit some classic stories with the little ones in your life. For generations, Carle’s stories have delighted readers of all ages and also taught basic concepts like colors, shapes, and manners.

Eric Carle has become a revered figure in the children’s book world. An advocate of picture book art he and his wife helped found the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. His own books are beautiful and entertaining, and they also teach children something about the world around them. As a new school year starts, they are especially appropriate. As he says of his books, “I attempt to bridge the gap between home and school … school is a strange and new place for a child … The unknown often brings fear with it. In my books I try to counteract this fear, to replace it with a positive message. “

There may be some grouchy days in the year ahead, but let this weekend be full of positive messages. Happy birthday, Ladybug!


For more fun facts about Eric Carle, or to visit the Eric Carle picture book museum, click here.

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HarperKids

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Home to many classics of children’s literature like Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, The Giving Tree, Charlotte’s Web, Little House, and Ramona.

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