Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts to Present 'THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR,' 4/19

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College continues its Target Storybook Series with Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia's The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Favourites on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 2pm. Recommended for ages three and up, this triple-bill includes The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Little Cloud, and The Mixed-Up Chameleon. Tickets are $9 and can be purchased at BrooklynCenter.org or by calling the box office at 718-951-4500 (Tue-Sat, 1pm-6pm).

Following the performance, Brooklyn Center will host its eighth annual National Grid Earth Day Celebration on the plaza outside Whitman Theatre. Featuring interactive family activities, educational materials, street performers, and giveaways, this community festival will highlight the need for conserving energy, recycling, and heightening awareness of the environmental global issues that we face today. National Grid Earth Day Celebration is a free event, with no tickets or reservations required.

Returning to Brooklyn Center after last year's highly successful engagement, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favourites includes the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar's quest for food and his eventual metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly, Little Cloud's adventures high up in the sky as it transforms itself into various shapes of things it sees, and The Mixed-Up Chameleon's discovery of his own unique nature as he explores his ability to change color. The three beloved stories come to life through the magic of black light and large-scale puppets, and audiences familiar with Mermaid's other adaptations of Eric Carle's books can expect the same attention to detail that has won international acclaim for the company. Adapted, directed, and designed by one of Canada's most esteemed puppetry creators, Jim Morrow, the production incorporates narration by storyteller Gordon Pinsent and original music by composer Steven Naylor.

Award-winning children's book author and illustrator Eric Carle has written and illustrated more than 70 children's books. Born in Syracuse, New York, he spent his youth in Germany where he studied fine art. He later returned to the United States to work as a graphic designer for The New York Times and later as art director of an international advertising agency. His delightful books combine stunning collage artwork with an imaginative approach to learning and have sold 25 million copies worldwide. Perhaps his most famous story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been translated into over 47 languages, and it remains an all-time favorite among children.