NPR

A Very Happy 50th Birthday To 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'

Will author and artist Eric Carle's famously peckish creation be munching his way through some birthday cake? (Along with the salami, the pickle, the watermelon and the slice of Swiss cheese.)

On average, every 30 seconds someone in the world buys a copy of The Very Hungry. Maybe it's for a grandchild, an expectant parent or a dear friend's new baby. Nearly 50 million copies have been sold since the classic picture book was first published in 1969, and it has been translated into over 62 languages.

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