The Very Hungry Caterpillar Turns 50

Every child's favorite caterpillar first appeared in print 50 years ago. Children are invited to interact with The Very Hungry Caterpillar by using the die-cut holes to follow along as he eats all the food. There is no better way to celebrate Eric Carle's beloved classic than to explore other playful titles that children and families are sure to love.

Board books with flaps for toddler hands to lift reveal fun surprises. Dear Zoo invites youngsters to guess what animal the zoo has sent to fulfill a request for the perfect pet.

Where Is Baby's Belly Button? has big flaps hiding baby hands, eyes, belly buttons and more. Grown-ups can help babies learn about their bodies, and toddlers can show off what they know.

Many playful books feature creative cutouts to give a sneak peek to the next page. Peek-a-who? and Peek-a Zoo! give simple clues for young children to guess what animal will appear next.

Lois Ehlert is another master of cutouts, particularly those of the geometric variety. Classics Color Zoo and Color Farm feature animals made up of brightly colored shapes and cutouts for children and grown-ups to explore together.

Don't miss the beautiful illustrations of Tree; it follows a tree and its many animal inhabitants through the seasons of a year. The cutouts reveal more living creatures as the pages turn and then cover them up again as the seasons change.

Readers of all ages will love to explore Green again and again with its intricate and ingeniously created cutouts. The rhyming verse highlights the many different shades of green we can see in the world around us, from jungle green to khaki green and from a "never green" stop sign to a "wacky green" zebra with green and white stripes. 

Make reading time into play time! What are your favorite interactive books?