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 WarII, an experience that shaped his life and art. Carle returned to theU.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 forThe 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.