Eric Carle: Art, Books, and the Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a masterpiece by American picture book author Eric Carle (1929‒2021), has been translated into over 70 languages and is one of the most widely cherished picture books worldwide. This book, with its message of the hope for growth told through the story of a little caterpillar that eventually transforms into a beautiful butterfly, together with its playful and iconic art style, has been read by generations of children. This exhibition, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Japanese publication of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, features approximately 180 works centering on precious original illustrations from the collection of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and The Eric and Barbara Carle Foundation. Carleʼs colorful original illustrations for the picture books and the handmade “book dummy” created during the conceptual stage, offer a glimpse into how the world of his long-loved picture books took shape. Furthermore, his early works reveal Carleʼs origins as a graphic designer, which would later evolve into his innovative interactive picture books.

List of Works (PDF)

Exhibition Outline

Chapter 1 The Birth of The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Eric Carleʼs masterpiece, The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969), was the first picture book for which Carle, who was a graphic designer, wrote his own text. Carle describes this picture book as “a story of hope about growing up.” Carleʼs distinct style of featuring small creatures as the main character and designing mechanisms that draw readers into the world of the book had already taken shape by this time.

Chapter 2 Turning Memories into Picture Books

This section traces Eric Carleʼs life leading up to his becoming a picture book author. Born in the United States, Carle moved to his parentsʼ homeland of Germany at the age of six.
Carle later enrolled at Akademie der Bildenden Kunste (The Academy of Fine Arts) in Stuttgart to study graphic design. Returning to New York, Carle began to steadily build his own career as a designer. However, it was with Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1967) that Carle discovered his passion for creating picture books. Leaving home and starting school can be a big, and sometimes painful change for children. It is precisely because he understood these difficulties and challenges that Carle continued to create pictures books that served as a “bridge” for each and every child, connecting the world of home to the world.

Chapter 3 Books You Can Play With and Toys You Can Read

The appeal of Eric Carleʼs picture books lies not only in the beauty of the illustrations and the stories they tell, but also in the interactive elements that enable readers to immerse themselves in the world of the book. Carle aimed to create picture books that were “books you can play with, and toys you can read,” and his experience as a graphic designer proved immensely valuable in this respect. In this section, we welcome viewers to explore Carleʼs picture books centering on those which feature a wide variety of interactive elements.

Chapter 4 Eric Carleʼs Studio

The final section of the exhibition explores Eric Carleʼs connection with Japan. After gaining popularity with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Carle visited Japan for the first time in 1985. Carle was very fond of Japan and visited on numerous occasions.
The next segment introduces Eric Carleʼs studio. The things that remain from his studio, from the tissue paper and art supplies used for making collages to the smock and shoes worn when working, convey the presence the artist who continued to create works right up until his passing in 2021.

Exhibition Catalogue

Now available at Exhibition Pop-up Store, the museum shop and on NADiff online.