The Very Quiet Cricket, by Eric Carle - Picturebook

I just recently had a great-niece born into my family and I have been very excited about buying books for her to read and to have read to her as she grows. Being a third grade teacher, however, I was a little lost on which books to buy for a young child (granted, Haleigh will not be reading them for several years, I figured I could always start her library off from the beginning). To be honest, I was never really raised on really good picturebooks, such as the caliber of books that I have been reading throughout this semester. My parents made sure that I had as many books as I wanted, but they turned out to be comic books and fairytales most of the time. Therefore, I have felt a little like Cynthia Rylant in that book warehouse filled with children’s books; so many books and so little time!

As mentioned, I decided to read Eric Carle because many in my Children’s Literature class who teach younger students were recommending his work. I’ve heard of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and wanted to read this one to myself, The Very Quiet Cricket. I really think that crickets are cute and I really would like for him to write one about fireflies.

The end pages of the book are very interesting because they look like some of the finger paint work that I have seen preschoolers do; a masterpiece of colors and zigzags. In fact, the illustrations are very child-friendly and look like they could be replicated by a child with finger/tempera paint and an easel.

I love the story line, as well. There are not a lot of words on a page and the overall story grows on itself. You have a little cricket being greeted by different types of insects throughout the day, but when the cricket tries to respond likewise, he is unable to make a sound. The same thing occurs throughout the day and the same words are basically repeated over and over again. This is a great tool for teaching early readers to read. The ending fits with a different occurrence, when the little cricket is finally able to make a sound when he meets up with a “lady cricket”.

The beauty of some of Carle’s books is that he interweaves nature and science into the book. Young children are fascinated with nature and the natural occurrence of things within their new, big world and this book is tailored to quench this fascination. I, in my older age, discovered something new. I did not know that only the male crickets can make a sound when they rub their wings together. Now, on summer nights, when I listen to the crickets outside, I will know who is playing in the natural orchestra!