His_DPS best-known_AJ0 book_NN1 ,_PUN The_AT0 Very_AV0 Hungry_AJ0 Caterpillar_NN1 ,_PUN has_VHZ sold_VVN over_PRP 55_CRD million_CRD copies_NN2 around_PRP the_AT0 world_NN1 ._SENT 
Eric_NP0 Carle_NP0 ,_PUN the_AT0 beloved_AJ0 and_CJC prolific_AJ0 author_NN1 of_PRF more_AV0 than_CJS seventy_CRD books_NN2 for_PRP children_NN2 ,_PUN has_VHZ died_VVN at_PRP 91._CRD Carle_NP0 died_VVD of_PRF kidney_NN1 failure_NN1 at_PRP his_DPS summer_NN1 home_NN1 in_PRP Northampton_NP0 ,_PUN Massachusetts_NP0 ._SENT According_VVG to_PRP a_AT0 statement_NN1 from_PRP his_DPS family_NN1 ,_PUN Carle_NP0 "_PUQ passed_VVD away_AV0 peacefully_AV0 and_CJC surrounded_VVN by_PRP family_NN1 members_NN2 on_PRP May_NP0 23_CRD ,_PUN 2021._CRD "_PUQ The_AT0 statement_NN1 went_VVD on_AVP to_TO0 say_VVI ,_PUN "_PUQ In_PRP the_AT0 light_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 moon_NN1 ,_PUN holding_VVG onto_PRP a_AT0 good_AJ0 star_NN1 ,_PUN a_AT0 painter_NN1 of_PRF rainbows_NN2 is_VBZ now_AV0 traveling_VVG across_PRP the_AT0 night_NN1 sky_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ 
Few_DT0 writers_NN2 and_CJC illustrators_NN2 have_VHB left_VVN as_CJS profound_AJ0 a_AT0 mark_NN1 on_PRP children_NN2 's_POS literature_NN1 as_PRP Carle_NP0 ._SENT Though_CJS he_PNP is_VBZ best_AV0 known_VVN for_PRP The_AT0 Very_AV0 Hungry_AJ0 Caterpillar_NN1 ,_PUN a_AT0 classic_NN1 that_CJT has_VHZ moved_VVN generations_NN2 of_PRF parents_NN2 and_CJC children_NN2 ,_PUN his_DPS seventy-plus_NN1 books_NN2 have_VHB sold_VVN over_PRP 170_CRD million_CRD copies_NN2 around_PRP the_AT0 world_NN1 ._SENT Michelle_NP0 H_NP0 ._SENT Martin_NP0 ,_PUN the_AT0 Beverly_NP0 Cleary_NP0 professor_NN1 for_PRP children_NN2 and_CJC youth_NN1 services_NN2 at_PRP the_AT0 University_NN1 of_PRF Washington_NP0 ,_PUN told_VVD NPR_NP0 that_CJT The_AT0 Very_AV0 Hungry_AJ0 Caterpillar_NN1 helps_VVZ children_NN2 grasp_VVI concepts_NN2 like_PRP numbers_NN2 and_CJC days_NN2 of_PRF the_AT0 week_NN1 ._SENT 
Carle_NP0 's_POS path_NN1 to_PRP children_NN2 's_POS literature_NN1 was_VBD long_AJ0 and_CJC winding_AJ0 ._SENT Born_VVN to_PRP German_AJ0 immigrants_NN2 in_PRP Syracuse_NP0 ,_PUN New_NP0 York_NP0 in_PRP 1929_CRD ,_PUN Carle_NP0 's_POS homesick_AJ0 parents_NN2 decided_VVD to_TO0 return_VVI to_PRP Germany_NP0 when_CJS he_PNP was_VBD six_CRD years_NN2 old_AJ0 –_PUN just_AV0 in_PRP time_NN1 for_PRP World_NN1 War_NN1 II_CRD ._SENT Young_NP0 Carle_NP0 was_VBD beaten_VVN by_PRP teachers_NN2 ,_PUN shot_VVN at_PRP by_PRP soldiers_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC ,_PUN like_PRP his_DPS most_DT0 famous_AJ0 creation_NN1 ,_PUN often_AV0 experienced_AJ0 hunger_NN1 ._SENT After_PRP being_VBG drafted_VVN to_TO0 fight_VVI for_PRP the_AT0 Nazis_NN2 ,_PUN Carle_NP0 's_POS father_NN1 disappeared_VVD in_PRP a_AT0 Russian_AJ0 prisoner-of-war_NN1 camp_NN1 ;_PUN when_CJS he_PNP returned_VVD ,_PUN he_PNP weighed_VVD just_AV0 eighty-five_CRD pounds_NN2 ._SENT Carle_NP0 himself_PNX ,_PUN too_AV0 young_AJ0 for_PRP the_AT0 draft_NN1 ,_PUN was_VBD conscripted_VVN by_PRP the_AT0 Nazi_AJ0 government_NN1 to_TO0 dig_VVI trenches_NN2 on_PRP a_AT0 400-mile_AJ0 defensive_AJ0 line_NN1 in_PRP west_NN1 Germany_NP0 ._SENT 
"_PUQ All_DT0 of_PRF us_PNP regretted_VVD it_PNP ,_PUN "_PUQ Carle_NP0 remembered_VVD of_PRF the_AT0 move_NN1 to_PRP Germany_NP0 ._SENT "_PUQ During_PRP the_AT0 war_NN1 ,_PUN there_EX0 were_VBD no_AT0 colors_NN2 ._SENT Everything_PNI was_VBD gray_AJ0 and_CJC brown_AJ0 and_CJC the_AT0 cities_NN2 were_VBD all_AV0 camouflaged_VVN with_PRP grays_NN2 and_CJC greens_NN2 and_CJC brown_AJ0 greens_NN2 and_CJC gray_AJ0 greens_NN2 or_CJC brown_AJ0 greens_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC ..._PUN there_EX0 was_VBD no_AT0 color_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ 
After_PRP the_AT0 war_NN1 ,_PUN Carle_NP0 studied_VVD typography_NN1 and_CJC graphic_AJ0 arts_NN2 at_PRP the_AT0 State_NN1 Academy_NN1 of_PRF Fine_AJ0 Arts_NN2 in_PRP Stuttgart_NP0 ._SENT There_AV0 ,_PUN Carle_NP0 fell_VVD in_PRP love_NN1 with_PRP the_AT0 Impressionists_NN2 –_PUN "_PUQ color_NN1 ,_PUN color_NN1 ,_PUN color_NN1 !_SENT "_PUQ he_PNP remarked_VVD ._SENT In_PRP 1952_CRD ,_PUN he_PNP moved_VVD to_PRP New_NP0 York_NP0 with_PRP just_AV0 $_NN0 40_CRD to_PRP his_DPS name_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC scored_VVD a_AT0 job_NN1 as_PRP a_AT0 graphic_AJ0 designer_NN1 in_PRP the_AT0 advertising_AJ0 department_NN1 at_PRP The_AT0 New_AJ0 York_NP0 Times_NN2 ._SENT Yet_AV0 his_DPS burgeoning_AJ0 art_NN1 career_NN1 was_VBD interrupted_VVN when_CJS he_PNP was_VBD drafted_VVN in_PRP the_AT0 Army_NN1 during_PRP the_AT0 Korean_AJ0 War_NN1 ,_PUN sent_VVD back_AVP to_PRP Germany_NP0 ,_PUN and_CJC stationed_VVN with_PRP the_AT0 Second_ORD Armored_AJ0 Division_NN1 as_PRP a_AT0 mail_NN1 clerk_NN1 ._SENT Upon_PRP the_AT0 end_NN1 of_PRF his_DPS service_NN1 ,_PUN Carle_NP0 returned_VVD to_PRP New_NP0 York_NP0 and_CJC picked_VVD back_AVP up_AVP at_PRP the_AT0 Times_NN2 ,_PUN where_CJS he_PNP worked_VVD until_CJS he_PNP hung_VVD out_AVP his_DPS own_DT0 shingle_NN1 as_PRP a_AT0 freelance_NN1 artist_NN1 in_PRP 1963._CRD 
Carle_NP0 's_POS breakthrough_NN1 came_VVD in_PRP 1969_CRD with_PRP the_AT0 publication_NN1 of_PRF The_AT0 Very_AV0 Hungry_AJ0 Caterpillar_NN1 ,_PUN which_DTQ has_VHZ since_AV0 been_VBN translated_VVN into_PRP seventy_CRD languages_NN2 and_CJC sold_VVD over_AVP 55_CRD million_CRD copies_NN2 around_PRP the_AT0 world_NN1 ._SENT In_PRP the_AT0 decades_NN2 to_TO0 follow_VVI ,_PUN his_DPS colorful_AJ0 ,_PUN imaginative_AJ0 books_NN2 ,_PUN anchored_VVN around_PRP artworks_NN2 made_VVN of_PRF tissue_NN1 paper_NN1 and_CJC acrylic_AJ0 paint_NN1 ,_PUN earned_VVD him_PNP acclaim_NN1 ,_PUN honorary_AJ0 degrees_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC legions_NN2 of_PRF young_AJ0 fans_NN2 ._SENT In_PRP 2002_CRD ,_PUN he_PNP and_CJC his_DPS wife_NN1 ,_PUN Bobbie_NP0 Carle_NP0 ,_PUN opened_VVD the_AT0 Eric_NP0 Carle_NP0 Museum_NN1 of_PRF Picture_NN1 Book_NN1 Art_NN1 in_PRP Amherst_NP0 ,_PUN Massachusetts_NP0 ._SENT The_AT0 museum_NN1 has_VHZ since_AV0 hosted_VVN 750_CRD ,_PUN 000_CRD visitors_NN2 ,_PUN including_PRP 50_CRD ,_PUN 000_CRD schoolchildren_NN2 ._SENT 
Carle_NP0 continued_VVD drawing_VVG until_PRP the_AT0 final_AJ0 month_NN1 of_PRF his_DPS life_NN1 ._SENT His_DPS longtime_AJ0 aide_NN1 ,_PUN Jennifer_NP0 Chanda_NP0 Orozco_NP0 ,_PUN wrote_VVD that_CJT "_PUQ when_CJS words_NN2 became_VVD clumsy_AJ0 and_CJC inefficient_AJ0 ,_PUN it_PNP was_VBD his_DPS art_NN1 that_CJT anchored_VVD Eric_NP0 and_CJC allowed_VVD him_PNP to_TO0 articulate_VVI himself_PNX in_PRP the_AT0 language_NN1 he_PNP knew_VVD best_AV0 ._SENT "_PUQ On_PRP the_AT0 fiftieth_ORD anniversary_NN1 of_PRF The_AT0 Very_AV0 Hungry_AJ0 Caterpillar_NN1 in_PRP 2019_CRD ,_PUN Carle_NP0 spoke_VVD about_PRP the_AT0 book_NN1 's_POS lasting_AJ0 impact_NN1 in_PRP a_AT0 commemorative_AJ0 video_NN1 released_VVN by_PRP his_DPS publisher_NN1 ._SENT 
"_PUQ I_PNP think_VVB it_PNP is_VBZ a_AT0 book_NN1 of_PRF hope_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ Carle_NP0 said_VVD ._SENT "_PUQ Children_NN2 need_VVB hope_NN1 ._SENT You_PNP ,_PUN little_DT0 insignificant_AJ0 caterpillar_NN1 ,_PUN can_VM0 grow_VVI up_AVP into_PRP a_AT0 beautiful_AJ0 butterfly_NN1 and_CJC fly_VVB into_PRP the_AT0 world_NN1 with_PRP your_DPS talent_NN1 ._SENT Will_VM0 I_PNP ever_AV0 be_VBI able_AJ0 to_TO0 do_VDI that_DT0 ?_SENT Yes_ITJ ,_PUN you_PNP will_VM0 ._SENT I_PNP think_VVB that_DT0 is_VBZ the_AT0 appeal_NN1 of_PRF that_DT0 book_NN1 ._SENT I_PNP should_VM0 know_VVI ..._PUN I_PNP did_VDD the_AT0 book_NN1 ,_PUN after_PRP all_DT0 !_SENT "_PUQ 
