I grew up with Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar book, and so did my two sons. But the story is finding new ways to live on in digital form, including a new app called My Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Released by developer StoryToys, it’s not an attempt to retell the tale of the food-munching caterpillar in traditional form. Instead, this is more of a virtual pet-style game, where you get to care for your own.

“You’ll soon fall in love with your own Very Hungry Caterpillar as you enjoy a range of fun activities together. Hatch him from an egg, drag tasty fruits from a nearby tree, then watch as he eats them,” explains its App Store listing.

“Each time you wake him up, it’s time for an exciting new adventure: push him on a swing, sail on a pond with bobbing Rubber Ducks, and grow flowers and fruit in a magical 3D garden.”

StoryToys promises that the more your children play with the app, the more activities and items they’ll unlock. And while the caterpillar does eventually turn into a “beautiful butterfly”, they then get to start again with a new egg.

It’s a clever idea, but the app’s production values also match up: it does a very good job of turning the famous illustrations of Carle’s book into a mini 3D world, with plenty of white space.

My Very Hungry Caterpillar costs £2.49 for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store.