
Eric Carle, Illustration for Grouchy Ladybug. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1997 Penguin Random House LLC.
Eric Carle
Eric Carle (1929–2021) was one of the most acclaimed and beloved illustrators of our time. Though born in Syracuse, New York, he grew up in Stuttgart, Germany, during World War II, an experience that shaped his life and art. Carle returned to the U.S. in his early twenties and became a commercial artist and art director in New York City. He went on to create more than 70 children’s books, typically with exuberant collages featuring his hand-painted tissue paper. Renowned for The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969), Carle revolutionized picture book design with interactive elements—holes, flaps, twinkling lights, and sounds—to make reading accessible, fun, and artful.
Since its inception in 2002, The Museum has organized over 50 exhibitions of Carle’s art in its Amherst galleries as well as numerous exhibitions for domestic and international travel. The Museum cares for over 5,000 of Carle’s works.

Eric Carle, Illustration for Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1967, 1992 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1969, 1987 Penguin Random House LLC.
The caterpillar’s famous journey is now known across the globe. Even fifty years after its original publication, a copy of the book sells somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! It has been translated into 62 languages, most recently Yiddish and Mongolian.

Eric Carle, Illustration for Do You Want to be My Friend? Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1971 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for The Very Busy Spider. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1984 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1986 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1987 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for A House for Hermit Crab. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1987 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for Have You Seen My Cat? Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1987 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for The Tiny Seed. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1987 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for Pancakes, Pancakes! Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1990 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for The Very Quiet Cricket. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1990 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for The Very Lonely Firefly. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1995 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for Walter the Baker. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1995 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for Little Cloud. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1996 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for Grouchy Ladybug. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1997 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for From Head to Toe. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1997 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for The Very Clumsy Click Beetle. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 1999 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for “Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 2002 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for Mister Seahorse. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 2004 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for 10 Little Rubber Ducks. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 2005 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 2011 Penguin Random House LLC.

Eric Carle, Illustration for Friends. Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle. © 2013 Penguin Random House LLC.