For four decades, Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” has been a favorite for youngsters just learning to read. And it may even be a favorite for some adults, who remember it from their childhood and are now reading it to their children.
Locally, children were mesmerized as their teacher read them the story of the tiny insect that ate more and more foods, things a real caterpillar would never eat, and became bigger and bigger until turning into a butterfly.
Thursday, a group of 3- and 4- year-old kids from Kootasca Community Action Headstart program turned into their own versions of caterpillars as they heard the story while participating in Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Campaign.
The children wore brightly colored head bands decorated with pipe cleaner-and-pom antennae for the event, and were instructed that they would later draw pictures related to the book and have other activities related to the story.
Jumpstart is attempting to break a world record for shared reading experiences. Last year, more than 688,000 students participated in the event, which began in 2006 with only 150,000 participants.
According to the non-profit organization Jumpstart, the program is intended to bring national attention to the importance of early childhood education and get books into the hands of children.
This year, teacher Annette Rognerud, who read the story to the children, told the class that the program hoped to get even more children just like them to hear the story.
To commemorate Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Day, Carle and James Cleveland, Jumpstart’s president, illuminated the Empire State Building in New York City in the color orange.
Similar reading events were held in Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and many other cities across the country, according to the Read for the Record Web site at www.readfortherecord.org.
The Minnesota Reading Corps was involved in bringing the project to International Falls and many other schools across the state. Minnesota Reading Corps members also led children in the Read for the Record Campaign in various locations throughout Itasca, Cass, and Koochiching counties.
