Eric Carle was the legendary and bestselling creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and more than 70 other classic books for very young children. The Very Hungry Caterpillar has sold over 60 million copies and has been translated into more than 80 languages. Eric Carle was honored many times for his work, including the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award from the American Library Association (now called the Children's Literature Legacy Award) and the NEA Foundation Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education, among many other national and international awards. In 2002, Eric Carle and his wife, Barbara, cofounded The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts. Eric Carle passed away in 2021, at the age of 91.