The Very Quiet Cricket is a short children's book written and illustrated by Eric Carle, first published in 1990. The book tells about a newly hatched cricket that can't make a sound. Like many of his books it has an added dimension.
This book provides examples of:
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: Subverted, all of the insects are pretty friendly and many even greet the little cricket politely.
- Chirping Crickets: Subverted, since the main character is a cricket.
- Coming of Age Story: Seems to be this, since it's ultimately about a cricket; he hatched in the morning, and tries unsuccessfully to chirp only being able to do it at night after he meets a female, which makes sense, since it is a mating call.
- Cute Mute: It's hard to tell if the little cricket's chirps are him talking or not, since a big cricket is stated to have chirped a Welcome! and when the little cricket chirps, it's just that, with no elaborate meaning. This possibly makes him The Speechless or Cute Mute throughout the story, though he's definitely this at the beginning of the story.
- Dreadful Dragonfly: Subverted, the dragonfly is actually friendly and gave the little cricket a Good Evening!
- Pretty Butterflies: The luna moth probably counts despite being a moth instead of a butterfly.
- Scenery Porn: The moment with the luna moth.
- Slaying Mantis: Subverted, the praying mantis is actually friendly and greats the little cricket with a Hello! Played straight in the video adaptation though, where the mantis actually tries to snatch the cricket and eat him before he hops away.
- Worm in an Apple: The cricket encounters a worm eating through an apple saying "Good Day".
