Eric Carle (1929 – 2021) the acclaimed and beloved creator of brilliantly illustrated and innovatively designed picture books for young children has died this week from kidney failure, aged 91 years. I mention this because on 10th June we will be holding a belated World Book Day activity for our youngest children at Barrow Hills, based on his best-known work, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. Following on from ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ story time last year, it is pure coincidence that I chose ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ this year but hopefully we can make it a fitting and memorable tribute for this extremely famous caterpillar who has eaten its way into the hearts of literally millions of children all over the world!
‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ has been translated into 66 languages and sold over 50 million copies. Since it was published in 1969, Eric Carle has illustrated more than seventy books, many of which he also wrote, and more than 152 million copies of his books have sold around the world.
Eric Carle was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1929, and moved with his parents to Germany when he was six years old; he was educated there, and graduated from a prestigious art school, but his dream was always to return to America, the land of his childhood memories. So, in 1952, with a sketchbook portfolio and forty dollars in his pocket, he arrived in New York. He found a job as a graphic designer in the promotion department of The New York Times, and later, he became the art director of an advertising agency for many years.
In 1967, American author Bill Martin Jr, contacted Eric Carle to illustrate a story he had written, having seen a striking picture of a red lobster that Eric had created for an advert; ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?’ was the result of their collaboration. It is still a favourite with children everywhere, and this was also the beginning of Eric Carle’s true career.
Following the success of ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?’, Eric began writing his own stories too. His first book was called ‘1,2,3 to the Zoo’, and was soon followed by the much celebrated classic, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. Eric Carle’s artwork is particularly distinctive and instantly recognizable. It is created using a collage technique with hand-painted papers, which he cuts and layers to form bright and cheerful images.
I hope you all have an enjoyable and restful half term with loads of time for reading! And I look forward to spending time with some of the Pre-Prep department and a particularly hungry, famous caterpillar on 10th June.
Mrs Emmett, Librarian