The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle 1st / 1st 1969

First edition published by World Publishing Cleveland in 1969. This being the US first and true first edition with the code A3450 on the reverse, shown as being printed in Japan and complete number string down to 1. This copy is in very good condition. It does not have its dust wrapper. The boards are in the main clean with only the odd light mark and mild rippling to the right hand edge of the front board. The boards are gently bowed. There is a neat inscription to the top left hand corner of the leaf opposite the title page. The string binding is shaken in places but all pages are held by it. There is the very occasional small mark to the odd page. Overall a very good copy. Now presented in a loose protective cover. 
 
One of the greatest children's books of all time, selling over 50 million copies and being translated into 60 different languages. It has won many awards and been adapted for TV. This is where it all began, published first in the US in 1969 in a relatively small print run. It is hard to find a true first print in any condition. A rare children's classic with the now iconic illustrations by Eric Carle.