elsasim - Eric Carle

Introduction

An Interview with Eric Carle

(This biography originally appeared in Scholastic Network's Author Library.)

Out of all the questions kids ask Eric Carle, "Where do ideas come from?" is the one he hears most often. Although Eric thinks it would take hours to fully respond, he offers this answer: "Of course, the question of where ideas come from is the most difficult of all. Some people like to say they get ideas when they're in the shower. That's always a very entertaining answer, but I think it's much deeper than that. It goes back to your upbringing, your education, and so forth." To Eric, ideas don't come from one place. They come from all the experiences in his life, all the thoughts in his mind, and all the feelings in his heart.

Rouleau, S. Eric Carle Author Study. Retrieved on April 25, 2008, from Scholastic at http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3234.

Print Sources

El canguro tiene mamá?
    [ Book ] SPA 468 CAR Carle, Eric.
    Annotation: Presents the names of animal babies, parents, and groups, for example, a baby kangaroo is a joey, its mother is a flyer, its father is a boomer, and a group of kangaroos is a troop, mob, or herd.

La mariquita malhumorada
    [ Book ] SPA 468 CAR    Carle, Eric.
    Annotation: A grouchy ladybug who is looking for a fight challenges everyone she meets regardless of their size or         strength.
    Accelerated Reader® Level: 2.8 / 0.5 pts.
    Lexile: 560

La oruga muy hambrienta
    [ Book ] SPA 468 CAR    Carle, Eric.
    Annotation:Follows a new-born caterpillar through the stages of its life, until it emerges from a cocoon as a different    creature.
    Accelerated Reader® Level: 2.9 / 0.5 pts.     Lexile: 600

Do you want to be my friend?
       [ Book ] E Car    Carle, Eric.
        Annotaiton:A mouse searches everywhere for a friend.
        Lexile: 200

Draw me a star
    [ Book ] E Car    Carle, Eric.
   Annotation: An artist's drawing of a star begins the creation of an entire universe around him as each successive pictured object requests that he draw more.
   Lexile: 170

Eric Carle's animals, animals
       [ Book ] 808 CAR    [illustrated by Eric Carle ; poems selected by Laura Whipple].
        Annotation:An illustrated collection of poems by a variety of authors describing the peculiarities of pets and wild and domestic animals.

The grouchy ladybug
       [ Book ] E CAR    Carle, Eric.
       Annotation: A grouchy ladybug who is looking for a fight challenges everyone she meets regardless of their size or strength.
     Accelerated Reader® Level: 2.8 / 0.5 pts.
       Lexile: 560

The secret birthday message
       [ Book ] E Car    Carle, Eric.
        Annotation:By following the instructions in the coded message, Tim finds his birthday present.
        Lexile: 100

The tiny seed
       [ Book ] 552 CAR    Carle, Eric.
       Annotation: A simple description of a flowering plant's life cycle through the seasons.
       Lexile: 400

Walter the baker
       [ Book ] E CAR    Carle, Eric.
        Annotation:By order of the duke, Walter the baker must invent a tasty roll through which the rising sun can shine three times.
        Lexile: 550

The mixed-up chameleon             [ Book ] E CAR    Carle, Eric.
       Annotation:A bored chameleon wishes it could be more like all the other animals it sees, but soon decides it would rather just be itself. Cutouts along the edges of the pages display various animals and colors.
       Lexile: AD 450

Mister Seahorse
    [ Book ] E CAR    Carle, Eric.
        Annotation:After Mrs. Seahorse lays her eggs on Mr. Seahorse's belly, he drifts through the water, greeting other fish fathers who are taking care of their eggs.
        Lexile: 620

Pancakes, pancakes!
       [ Book ] E CAR    Carle, Eric.
        Annotation:By cutting and grinding the wheat for flour, Jack starts from scratch to help make his breakfast pancake.
        Accelerated Reader® Level: 3.6 / 0.5 pts.
        Lexile: AD 670

The very busy spider
       [ Book ] E CAR    Carle, Eric.
        Annotation:The farm animals try to divert a busy little spider from spinning her web, but she persists and produces a thing of both beauty and usefulness.
      Accelerated Reader® Level: 1.3 / 0.5 pts.
        Lexile: 130

The very hungry caterpillar     0 of 1 available
    [ Book ] BB E CAR    Carle, Eric.
        Annotation:Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep. Die-cut pages illustrate what the caterpillar ate on successive days.
       Accelerated Reader® Level: 2.9 / 0.5 pts.
    Lexile: AD 460

The very lonely firefly
       [ Book ] E CAR    Carle, Eric.
       Annotation:A lonely firefly goes out into the night searching for other fireflies.
       Accelerated Reader® Level: 2.4 / 0.5 pts.
       Lexile: AD 530

Internet Resources

Official Eric Carle Web Site

Annotation: Eric Carle, the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other beloved children's books, is the focus of this web site. Read about upcoming events and new publications. Find out more about Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? Check out the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Read a biography of the author. Find answers to frequently asked questions. A bulletin board allows for communication among visitors. A list of Eric Carle's books is provided. Finally, purchase related items at the online store.
Eric Carle

Annotation: This author began drawing as a young boy, eventually becoming a graphic designer and advertising art director. Although he was born in the United States, he spent much of his childhood in Germany before returning to America. Author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle uses collage to create his illustrations. Shapes and textures, tissue paper and paint create the animals and scenes in his picture books. He hopes his books will inspire readers to see growth and discovery as fun.

A Video Interview with Eric Carle

Annotaiton: Picture book author and illustrator Eric Carle has his own museum of picture book art in Massachusetts. Watch the video clips or read the transcript to find out what Eric Carle has to say about bold shapes, collage, graphic design, simplicity, and ideas. His museum is a response to the many schools that are cutting back on their art programs, because he believes art is an essential element of learning. The Very Hungry Caterpillar started as a bookworm and transformed into a butterfly.
Topic: Carle, Eric

Eric Carle Author Study

Annotation: Where does he get his ideas? Why do his books feature so many animals? How does he get his imagination going? Why does the theme of change appear over and over in his books? Explore the world of Eric Carle, well-known children's author and illustrator. Discover how moving to Germany at the age of six impacted his life. Understand how nature walks with his father and stories from his Uncle August inspired his writing and drawing.

The Life and Times of Eric Carle

Annotation: From The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Brown Bear, Brown Bear; Eric Carle has written or illustrated 70 picture books, many with friendly insects or animals and eye-catching collages. Bold colors and rich textures combine with simple emotions to inspire young readers. In an American kindergarten as a child, Carle enjoyed making colorful paintings. When his family moved to Germany, he found that the strict schools allowed for little creativity. He eventually attended a prestigious art school and became a graphic designer with the New York Times. From colorful advertising, he was catapulted into the world of children's literature.

The Eric Carle Museum

Annotation: The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is the first full-scale museum in the U.S. devoted to picture book art. It is the museum's goal to foster connections between visual and verbal literacy. Visit this site to get information about current and upcoming exhibitions featuring illustrators of children's books. You can also learn what programs are available. Programs use Visual Thinking Strategies, which encourage learners to consider what is going on in the picture as they view it. They are then asked to explain their answer and to tell what else they see.

Teacher Resource

Eric Carle: Teacher Resource Unit

Annotation: Do you love Eric Carle's books and want to learn how to make pictures like his? Are you looking for ideas about other activities you can do after reading his books? Here you can find ideas that classroom teachers have used to learn about Carle, his books, and his art. Several biographies are linked here, along with activities for The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Grouchy Ladybug, and more.