He began as a designer of promotions and ads, and one illustration of a red lobster helped jump-start his career. The lobster caught the eye of author Bill Martin, Jr.; Martin asked Carle to illustrate the now-classic 1967 title Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and a career was born.
Born in Syracuse, New York but brought by his immigrant parents back to Germany when he was six, Carle was educated in Stuttgart and designed posters for the United States Information Center there after graduating from art school. He finally returned to the country he missed so much as a child in 1952.
He eventually began procuring work on children's titles, and found himself becoming increasingly involved in them. "I felt something of my own past stirring in me," he wrote in a 2000 essay. "An unresolved part of my own education needed reworking, and I began to make books -- books for myself, books for the child in me, books I had yearned for. I became my own teacher -- but this time an understanding one."
He began his career with the 1968 title 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo; but his next title, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is what still endears him to young readers today. Employing his bright, collage style and lending an immediacy to the tale by manifesting the caterpillar's hunger in actual holes in the pages, Carle began what would be a long career of creative approaches to simple stories. From the chirp emerging from The Very Quiet Cricket to the delightful fold-out pages in Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me, Carle's books provide surprises that make his stories come alive in ways that many titles for preschoolers do not.
Carle's style, with its diaphanous, busy and bold artwork, is perfect for engaging new readers. His stories are also popular with parents and educators for their introductions to the natural world and its cycles. It's a particular pleasure to follow Carle into different corners of the world and see what can be learned from the creatures who live in them.
Carle was unhappy to be in Germany when his immigrant parents brought him back there as a child. He hated his new school and wanted to go back to America. He said: "When it became apparent that we would not return, I decided that I would become a bridge builder. I would build a bridge from Germany to America and take my beloved German grandmother by the hand across the wide ocean."
Before he became a freelance illustrator and began working on children's books, Carle worked as a graphic designer for the New York Times and as art director of an ad agency.
num
Posted March 20, 2010
I bought this as a gift since my kids love the book. The animal sounds are their favorite part.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 13, 2009
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Eric Carle is a very popular children's author in our classroom. His illustrations are vibrant and this story has a repetitive refrain that makes it ideal for child participation.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 11, 2007
My 1 year old likes the animals sounds. He says 'Moo Moo' and 'Baa Baa' as soon as he sees the pictures. After a few months of reading this to him he's finally interested in the spider and feeling the web.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 17, 2012
My 18 month old's face lights up when we pull this book out. He loves making the animal sounds. He will even "read" it by himself.
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Posted March 7, 2012
My toddler loves to look at the pictures and make the animal sounds, and my four-year-old is excited to be able to read the words. They love this one almost as much as the Very Hungry Caterpillar.
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Posted November 2, 2011
This book is great for young children. I love the illustrations and the content leads to discussions about farm animals and spiders. I use this book in my Speech Therapy sessions and the children love it. I ask the children "wh-" questions about the animals. The board book is durable for the little ones.
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Posted October 10, 2011
I was not happy with this purchase, as I didn't realize it was a "miniature". My mistake. Although I do LOVE this story!
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Posted November 15, 2009
It's a book that your children will love. We are now on the next generation. Our son loved the book when he was little, and now that my nieces and nephews are having children of their own, I am giving the gift that hopefully will be a family favorite for them as well.
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Posted August 4, 2007
Eric Carle 'weaves' his magic again in this see-touch-feel book about a spider.
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Posted November 17, 2006
We frequently read this book and everytime my 6 year old son has to trace the spiderwebs on each page. He loves the story also. We never tire of sharing this book at bedtime.
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Posted May 2, 2006
I liked the Very Busy Spider. I liked the cow and the spider. This was a good book.
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Posted December 11, 2003
Education is a prioritizing influence of my house. I reed to the children most every night. Its' very very very important to me and Donna to give the twins and the other kid early ecsposure to letters, words and story's. We feel that we havent' gone wrong with this book or most any other book for the matter at hand.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 16, 2003
We started reading this book to our 5 month old son and he loved it from the beginning! Every page has a different animal with the specific noises each animal makes. My son laughed at each page and especially loves the last page with the owl hooing. We read it almost every day!
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Posted March 7, 2000
We found this book in our puplic library. My son was two at the time and fell in love with this book. We have read it so much that he recites it to himself and to any one that wants to hear it. This one book has hooked him on reading. He loves all the Eric Carl books. The pictures are so colorful and exciting. I would recomend this book to any parent who has not yet achieved getting their little ones interested in listening to story time. This spider is like a member of our family now.
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Posted December 6, 2010
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Posted July 21, 2009
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Posted August 26, 2010
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Posted April 29, 2009
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Posted October 5, 2009
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Posted January 11, 2010
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Overview
"A beautifully executed work for the very young that satisfies the needs of both visually handicapped and sighted children without losing its artistic integrity."
-The Horn Book, starred review.
"Both sighted and blind children will follow the action with ease . . . Visually and verbally, this is a winner."
-Booklist, starred review.