About the Author
----------------
Eric Carle is accled and beloved as the creator of
brilliantly illustrated and innovatively designed picture books
for very young children. His best-known work, The Very Hungry
Caterpillar, has eaten its way into the hearts of literally
millions of children all over the world and has been translated
into more than 25 languages and sold over twelve million copies.
Since the Caterpillar was published in 1969, Eric Carle has
illustrated more than sixty books, many best sellers, most of
which he also wrote.
Born in Syracuse, New York, in 1929, Eric Carle moved with his
parents to Germany when he was six years old; he was educated
there, and graduated from the prestigious art school, the
Akademie der bildenden Kunste, in Stuttgart. But his dream was
always to return to America, the land of his happiest childhood
memories. So, in 1952, with a fine portfolio in hand and forty
dollars in his pocket, he arrived in New York. Soon he found a
job as a graphic designer in the promotion department of The New
York Times. Later, he was the art director of an advertising
agency for many years.
One day, respected educator and author, Bill Martin Jr, called to
ask Carle to illustrate a story he had written. Martin's eye had
been caught by a striking picture of a red lobster that Carle had
created for an advertisement. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You
See? was the result of their collaboration. It is still a
favorite with children everywhere. This was the beginning of Eric
Carle's true career. Soon Carle was writing his own stories, too.
His first wholly original book was 1,2,3 to the Zoo, followed
soon afterward by the celebrated classic, The Very Hungry
Caterpillar.
Eric Carle's art is distinctive and instantly recognizable. His
art work is created in collage technique, using hand-painted
papers, which he cuts and layers to form bright and cheerful
images. Many of his books have an added dimension - die-cut
pages, twinkling lights as in The Very Lonely Firefly, even the
lifelike sound of a cricket's song as in The Very Quiet Cricket -
giving them a playful quality: a toy that can be read, a book
that can be touched. Children also enjoy working in collage and
many send him pictures they have made themselves, inspired by his
illustrations. He receives hundreds of letters each week from his
young admirers. The secret of Eric Carle's books' appeal lies in
his intuitive understanding of and respect for children, who
sense in him instinctively someone who shares their most
cherished thoughts and emotions.
The themes of his stories are usually drawn from his extensive
knowledge and love of nature - an interest shared by most small
children. Besides being beautiful and entertaining, his books
always offer the child the rtunity to learn something about
the world around them. It is his concern for children, for their
feelings and their inquisitiveness, for their creativity and
their intellectual growth that, in addition to his beautiful
artwork, makes the reading of his books such a stimulating and
lasting experience.
Carle says: "With many of my books I attempt to bridge the gap
between the home and school. To me home represents, or should
represent; warmth, security, toys, holding hands, being held.
School is a strange and new place for a child. Will it be a happy
place? There are new people, a teacher, classmates - will they be
friendly? I believe the passage from home to school is the second
biggest trauma of childhood; the first is, of course, being born.
Indeed, in both cases we leave a place of warmth and protection
for one that is unknown. The unknown often brings fear with it.
In my books I try to counteract this fear, to replace it with a
positive message. I believe that children are naturally creative
and eager to learn. I want to show them that learning is really
both fascinating and fun."
copyright © 2000 by Penguin Group (USA) Books for Young Readers.
All rights reserved.