Eric Carle
The illustrator famous for his tissue-paper collage picture books.
Eric Carle is an author and illustrator. The illustrator famous for his tissue-paper collage picture books. This page is a short guide for parents, teachers and young readers: who they are, which of their books we recommend and where to start.
About Eric Carle
Eric Carle was born on 25 June 1929 in Syracuse, New York, and died on 23 May 2021. He made his bright pictures from hand-painted tissue paper that he cut and layered into collages.
His best-known book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969), has been read by generations of children. He helped to found the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Eric Carle’s books in our all-time classics list
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969): number 2 in our best children’s books of all time. A tiny caterpillar eats its way through the week and turns into a butterfly.
Other well-known books and work
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969)
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1967, text by Bill Martin Jr., pictures by Eric Carle)
- The Grouchy Ladybug
- The Very Busy Spider
- The Very Quiet Cricket
Where to start
Start with The Very Hungry Caterpillar for toddlers.
Frequently asked questions about Eric Carle
Who is Eric Carle?
Eric Carle was born on 25 June 1929 in Syracuse, New York, and died on 23 May 2021. He made his bright pictures from hand-painted tissue paper that he cut and layered into collages.
Which books by Eric Carle are on your all-time list?
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (number 2). See our best children’s books of all time.
Where should I start with Eric Carle?
Start with The Very Hungry Caterpillar for toddlers.
Biographical details are drawn from publisher biographies, reference works and the author’s own site, and may have changed. The illustration is our own and is not a likeness of the author. See all the authors.