Have you checked out Google today? As I’m sure you know, Google frequently changes their logo to reflect significant events of the day. Today’s logo celebrates author Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, perhaps the most famous of his many wonderful children’s books. As a Blatant Bibliophile, this may have been one of your first books, or one of the books that inspired your life-long love of reading. According to an article in the London Telegraph, Mr. Carle, who will celebrate his eightieth birthday later this year, was inspired by, of all things, a hole puncher to create his world-famous book. Here’s what he had to say about how he invented his character: “One day I was punching holes with a hole puncher into a stack of paper, and I thought of a bookworm and so I created a story called “A Week with Willi the Worm”. Then my editor suggested a caterpillar instead and I said “Butterfly!” That’s how it began,” he said. Today marks the fortieth anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and elementary schools and public libraries around the world are celebrating. The book is published in 47 languages and has sold over 29 million copies. A copy is sold every thirty seconds somewhere in the world. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is just one of over seventy children’s picture books Mr. Carle has published. If you love Eric Carle and his books, celebrate by reading a book with a child. You may also enjoy visiting his website.