According to a statement from his publisher released on his official Instagram account, Eric Carle, the famed author and artist best known for the children’s classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has died at the age of 91.
The caterpillar in the book, which was initially published in 1969, eats his way through a variety of delicacies over the course of a week before ultimately emerging as a lovely butterfly.
The book has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 60 languages because to its unique artwork and subtle educational principles.
“It is with sorrowful hearts that we convey the news that Eric Carle, author, and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and many other treasured classics, passed away on May 23rd at the age of 91,” Penguin Kids said in a statement.
The novelist died on Sunday at his home in Northampton, Massachusetts, according to the Washington Post.
‘I think it is a book of hope,’ Carle stated when asked why The Very Hungry Caterpillar has stayed popular for so long. Hope is essential for children. You, insignificant caterpillar, can grow into a magnificent butterfly and soar into the world with your skills,’ according to a message on his official Instagram account.
It went on to say, “Thank you, Eric Carle, for sharing your incredible skill with so many generations of young readers.”
On social media, tributes to the author flooded in, even from the affluent and famous.
“Eric Carle has passed away- but he gave us the wonderful Hungry Caterpillar, Brown Bear, Brown Bear- books I read to my children and now my grandchildren,” actress Mia Farrow said on Twitter. “My heartfelt condolences to his family and my thanks to Mr. Carle.”
Carle authored almost 70 books, many of which are known for their bright illustrations, such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, The Grouchy Ladybug, and Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me. Carle was a well-known artist and designer in addition to his work as a children’s author.
When he was 87, he began a series of angel-themed cardboard and abstract collages constructed from recyclable materials, which he dedicated to Paul Klee.
Carle’s website featured a painting and a poem in his honor: Against the backdrop of the moonlight clinging to a bright spot, a rainbow-painting artist is presently making its way across the night sky
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