The Very Hungry Caterpillar

#23 Review a Pre-schoolers Book

Eric Carle's classic, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" remains a delight to audiences of all ages. This book follows the famished caterpillar's path as he eats his way through a selection of fresh fruit. This starts out with an apple on Monday – two pears on Tuesday and so on, assisting children with the concept of increasing numbers and the days of the week. Interestingly, when he eats unhealthy snacks such as cherry pie and chocolate cake, he ends up with a belly ache and has to have a sleep!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar can be used as a teaching aid to introduce subjects such as nutrition, counting, science (stages of a butterfly) and the days of the week.

The book has been published in both hard, soft cover and board book formats. There are supporting products including games, soft toys and puzzles. Pop onto Amazon to look at over 300 other reviews of the book from parents and academics.

Priced at around AU$20 and with more than twelve million copies already sold, it is unlikely to date or go out or favour.

Review this - A Childrens Movie

Another delightful animation produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It follows the story of a robot named WALL-E who is designed to clean up a polluted Earth. 700 years after he was set off to do this enormous job with thousands of other robots, he is the only one still operating; still in a dreadfully toxic planet. After falling in love with another robot named EVE, he follows her into outer space to ultimately fulfill his true purpose.


Very little spoken in the first half of the movie may make it a little tedious for younger children – however my three and five year old were delighted the whole way through and we have watched it twice! A few scenes which may concern small or sensitive children, but no outward violence with most gripping scenes being chase sequences.


Amusing, heartwarming with a wonderful environmental message interlinking social commentary on the direction of our wasteful and disassociated society.


4 stars from this family.

Daytripping

Review This!

Don’t wait for the arrival of interstate visitors to rediscover the nearby activities on offer within your local area. "The Gympie Valley Rattler” is a heritage listed steam train tour which departs from the historic Gympie Railway station every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday. The train and carriages have been refurbished to original condition and easily whisks you back into a more sedate and calmer mode of life. There are long open carriages, restaurant car seating or private compartments which seat 6 adults comfortably.

The Mary Valley line glides the passenger past farms filled with cattle, sheep alpacas, pineapples and macadamia crops. There is an abundance of curves, gradients and bridges to observe and experience.

Dependant upon the day and length of trip, the train will stop along the way for passengers to alight and purchase crafts made by locals, fresh seasonal fruit or vegetables, hire a horse drawn carriage for a joy ride and to sample the ubiquitous sausage on a piece of bread at the BBQ tent. For longer trips, a stopover of an hour will allow passengers to purchase a counter meal at one of the historic pubs near the track.


The historic sidings house a refreshments lounge which make a decent coffee and offer a generous array of snacks and light meals for either before or after your trip. Take a few moments to step into the darkened gallery to view a lifetime train collection painstakingly reconstructed within the confines of one of the waiting room. With three separate lines and detailed tableaus filling the room, it is sure to enchant the young and give older viewers an appreciation of the time spent building it.


A child and time friendly option is the half day trip which leaves 9.30 am or 1.30pm on a Saturday. At $20 per adult, one child is free per paying adult; making it an affordable family outing. Tickets must be booked in advance.


For those keen to experience or support this venture on an ongoing basis, a yearly pass is $75 for adults and $35 for children. Themed rides, including the Bushranger experience, are run monthly and offer a unique birthday party setting or outing with a difference.


The Valley Rattler is a charitable organization run by volunteers and enthusiasts. For more information go to http://www.thevalleyrattler.com

It gets 3 Choo Choos for a great day out for the whole family