Eric Carle Author & Illustrator 1929- today

Eric was born in Syracuse, New York in 1929. Eric was born in Syracuse, New York in 1929. He lived with his mother and father, who had both moved there from Germany. Eric at 6 months old

Eric and his childhood friend Florence Trovato. Eric and his mother in 1934. Eric cherished his childhood in Syracuse. He loved the time he spent with his family there. Eric and his childhood friend Florence Trovato.

Syracuse, New York to Stuttgart, Germany Eric’s mother missed Germany, where she was born. The family moved back to Stuttgart, Germany when Eric was six years old. He missed Syracuse and always dreamed of returning to the United States. While living in Stuttgart, Eric attended the local art high school. After he graduated, he was accepted to attend the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart where he improved his skills as an artist. -Does Germany look different than Arkansas? -Do you think life was different in Germany? Stuttgart, Germany

Eric returned to the United States as a young man Eric returned to the United States as a young man. He moved to New York City with very little money and a portfolio of his artwork. In 1952, at 23 years old, Eric returned to the United States. He only has $40 dollars and no job! He quickly found work as a graphic artist (making artwork for advertisements) at the New York Times. He later became the artistic director at an advertising agency.

Lobster collage that was made for an advertisement. In 1966 an author named Bill Martin, Jr. saw an advertisement that had been produced by Eric Carle. Bill loved the unique artwork and asked Eric to illustrate a book that he had written. That book was called Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you See? Bill Martin, Jr. wrote the words of the book and Eric Carle created the pictures. This is called illustrating a book. This book was the beginning of Eric Carle’s career as an illustrator. His use of collage was beautiful and unusual. -Does Eric Carle’s bear look realistic? -Have you ever read the book Brown Bear. Brown Bear What do you See? -What does an illustrator do? -How can an illustrator make a story more interesting? Pages from the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?

What made Eric Carle’s artwork so special? Eric made collages, which are artworks created by cutting shapes out of paper. Before Eric cut his shapes, he would paint the paper with exciting and interesting textures. Collage is a technique where the artist will create images by cutting pieces out of larger sheets of paper. Eric Carle’s collages were very interesting because he would paint the papers beforehand, creating interesting designs and textures. These beautiful pieces would then be used to create collages. -Which design is your favorite? Why?

After painting the papers, Eric would cut them to create images to use when illustrating his books. Each piece that was cut would be placed to make a new image. He used these papers to create cats, people, and even caterpillars! Look for the different shapes that he cut to create the cat, the person, and the caterpillar. -Have you ever created a collage? -What was it a picture of?

After helping illustrate Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Eric Carle began writing and illustrating his own books! The first book that he both wrote and illustrated was 1,2,3 to the Zoo. His illustrations of animals made counting fun! The first book that Eric Carle both wrote and illustrated was 1,2,3 to the Zoo.

Not long after writing 1,2,3 to the Zoo, Eric Carle wrote the most famous book of his career. The Very Hungry Caterpillar taught readers about the life cycle of a butterfly while filling the pages with beautiful illustrations. Children today still love this book. -Have you ever read the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar? -What is your favorite part?

This book has been turned into a game, puzzles, pajamas and toys other items. Have you ever played with any of these games or toys?

Let’s take a closer look at the illustrations in The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In the first illustration, you can see Eric Carle’s collage of a smiling sun. -What kinds of colors did he use? -Why do you think the sun is smiling? -How did Eric Carle make the sun interesting to look at? In the next illustration, you can see the caterpillar who has nibbled holes in the green leaf. -Why did Eric Carle use so many different shades of green? -Why do you think caterpillars eat leaves? Next we can see many of the treats that the hungry caterpillar ate. Which one of these treats is your favorite to eat? The last illustration is the beautiful butterfly! -What colors do you see in the butterfly? -How did the caterpillar become a butterfly? -What is your favorite part of the butterfly?

Watch a video of Eric Carle reading his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by clicking the link.

Eric Carle has continued creating children’s books- over 40 books total! -Have you read any of these books? -Which one is your favorite?

Eric Carle and his wife Barbara wanted to create a place to celebrate the many amazing illustrations that are found within picture books. In 2002 they opened the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts. It has art galleries, studios, picture book libraries, and features exhibitions that honor the amazing works within picture books.

Eric Carle