You’ve probably read The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Millions of kids have grown up reading the classic children’s book. Eric Carle (EC) published the story in 1969. That means it’s the 50th anniversary!
Eric Carle is turning 90 years old on June 25. Before his big birthday, Carle answered questions from News-O-Matic readers!
Marie, age 9: How many books have you made?
EC: I have written or illustrated more than 70 books!
Mrs. Jordan’s class: Where did you grow up?
EC: I was born in Syracuse, New York. When I was 6 years old, I moved to Germany where I lived until I was in my early 20s.
Inc, age 13: Did you always want to become an author?
EC: Ever since I was quite young, I loved to draw and knew that I wanted to someday be an artist. But it wasn’t until I was an adult that I found my true course in life as an author and illustrator of books for children.
Ryan, age 9: What inspires you to write your books?
EC: I am inspired by nature. I have always loved animals and insects. My father used to take me into the woods when I was a very small child. He would peel back the bark of a tree and show me the creatures who lived there. Little crawly things!
But inspiration and ideas for my books can come from all kinds of places. Some ideas for my books have been there, inside me, in my unconscious perhaps, for a long time. And others just come to me quickly. Usually it’s a combination of things: memory, design, dreams, and experiences.
Faith, age 10: What gave you the idea to write The Very Hungry Caterpillar?
EC: One day I was punching holes with a hole puncher into a stack of paper, and I thought of a bookworm. So I created a story called A Week with Willi Worm. Then my editor, Ann Beneduce, suggested a caterpillar. I said “Butterfly!” And the rest is history.
Gwen, age 10: Of all the books you’ve illustrated or written, which is your favorite?
EC: My favorite book is Do You Want to be My Friend? because it is about friendship. But I have a special place in my heart for The Very Hungry Caterpillar!
Mattie, age 10: What is your favorite book you haven’t written?
EC: One of my favorite books for children that I did not write is Leo the Late Bloomer, written by Robert Kraus and illustrated by Jose Aruego. I love how this book, in a very simple way, shows how we all learn and grow in our own way. I was a late bloomer just like Leo. I also love the illustrations!
Ella, age 9: Why do you write children's books rather than books for adults?
EC: I am interested in the child’s transition from home to school. And I have tried to create books that you can play with and a toy you can read. My hope is that my books will be a bridge between home and school. And that they will help to make this period easier.
Damian, age 11: Do you think about your time as a kid when you write?
EC: When I was a young child, my father and I would go walking in the forest, observing the creatures we came upon. I honor these times in my books, and they are the source of so much in my work.
Hailey, age 10: When you are making a book, does your art inspire your writing — or is it the other way around?
EC: I am a visual person and still think of myself as a designer. But over the years, I have come to enjoy the writing, too. To me, pictures need writing and writing needs pictures.
Emma, age 15: If you were not an author, what job would you want to have?
EC: I have imagined being a chef in a fine restaurant cooking up delicious meals. But I have always loved making pictures. And I feel very lucky to be able to do this work that I love.
Updated June 17, 2019, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Alexandra Gerlach
