Eric Carle: The Author of the Very Hungry Caterpillar
"Caterpillar is a book of hope: you, too, can grow up and grow wings"- Eric Carle in 1994
The famous author of ‘The very hungry Caterpillar’ has assembled his wings and left the world on May 23, 2021. Eric Carle died of Kidney failure at the age of 91, leaving a huge children fan base behind. Carle had great charm between parents and children because of his influential writing.
Who is Eric Carle?
Eric Carle is an American author and illustrator. The designer was born on June 25, 1929, in New York. Later at the age of six, they left America and settled in Germany. His father was in the army of German defence during the Second World War. He completed his graduation from the local school State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart. Though living in Germany, Carle was always home-sicken for America. As a result, in 1952, he moved to New York again and started his career as a graphic designer at New York Times.
His first collaboration as an author was with Bill Martin Jr. They have created the picture book ‘Brown bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?’ and it became a bestseller book. From then, he started his writing and illustration career solely.
Books, Publication and Achievement
Eric Carle’s first book was ‘1, 2, 3 to the Zoo’ and today has more than 70 books to his name. His most popular book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar has sold more than 55 copies till now and has been translated into 77 languages. According to Carle himself, the phase of home to school is very traumatic for children. The main purpose of his writings is to convert that fear and trauma into fun and fascination.
In 2003 Carle received the prestigious Laura Ingalls Wilder Award by the American library association as a recognized author. In his personal life, Eric Carle had one son and one daughter with his second wife Barbara Morrison.