Author (91) children’s book Rupsje Nooitgenoeg deceased

In the United States, Eric Carle is the author of the well-known children’s book The Very Hungry Caterpillar passed away. Carle passed away last Sunday at the age of 91 in the state of Massachusetts, but his death was only announced today.

In addition to being a writer, Carle was also an illustrator; during his career he contributed to more than seventy children’s books. Yet he only started drawing for children’s literature at a later age.

At the age of forty he illustrated his first children’s book: Bear Brown, what do you see there? Author Bill Martin Jr. Carle asked for the job after seeing some of his work (an advertisement). Carle liked the work so much that he decided to make it his profession.

50 million copies

Carles style as an illustrator was recognizable. His work is not only very colorful, he also used a collage technique. That meant that he worked with different pieces of paper.

Carles most famous work appeared in 1969: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a colorful book for toddlers about a caterpillar that feeds on itself and eventually turns into a butterfly. When it was published, the work was praised for its simple choice of words that taught children how to read. It was published in 65 languages ​​and sold some 50 million copies worldwide.

The popularity, Carle thought, had to do with the theme. He told the BBC in 2019 that it was the message of hope that is in the story: “A small insignificant caterpillar that flies into the world like a beautiful butterfly.”

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