Eric Carle was a lauded designer, writer and illustrator of children’s books. He was born in Syracuse, New York, June 25, 1929. His parents were German immigrants named Erich and Johanna. When Eric was six years old, his family moved back to Germany.

Eric’s childhood in Germany was not an easy one. Germany was at war and his family endured many hardships. Nevertheless, Eric studied art and earned a degree from the prestigious art school, The Akademie der bildenden Kunste in Stuttgart.

Eric always dreamed of moving back to America and, in 1952, he returned to New York. There he got a job as a graphic designer at the New York Times. Later, he became the art director of an advertising agency and held that job for many years. He also served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

One day, Eric was approached by Dr. Bill Martin Jr. Dr. Martin was a writer, editor and educator. He had seen one of Carle’s illustrations and asked him to illustrate his manuscript “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” Eric agreed. “I was set on fire!” he said. “It was possible after all to do something special, something that would show a child the joy to be found in books.”

The book was very successful and soon Eric began writing and illustrating his own books. This was the beginning of his true career. He illustrated more than 70 books, most of which he also wrote.

He had a very unique and distinctive style. He used a collage technique with hand-painted papers which he cut to form images. His art is bright and cheerful. Many of his books have a toy-like quality. They have die-cut pages, lights, sounds and added dimension.

He wanted to make books and reading fun for kids. More than 152 million copies of his books have been sold around the world. Some of his titles include, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” “The Grouchy Ladybug,” “Do You Want to Be My Friend?” and “The Very Busy Spider.”

Eric Carle earned many awards in his lifetime, including the Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Illustrators in New York, the NEA Foundation Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award and many others.

He and his wife Bobbie also started the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts. Its goal is to collect, preserve and present picture book art to audiences of all ages.

Eric Carle died May 23, 2021, at the age of 91 leaving behind a legacy of beloved picture books that have given joy and a love of reading to generations of children and parents alike.

You can find books by Eric Carle across the Lincoln County Library System.