Eric Carle (1929-2021) was a children's book author and illustrator, best known for his 1969 book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Several of Carle's books were read on Sesame Street in the 1990s, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Episode 2463, Episode 3087), 1984's The Very Busy Spider (Episode 3212) and 1990's The Very Quiet Cricket (Episode 3267).
Many of Carle's books have been bestsellers, beginning with Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1967). His illustration style, combining paint and paper cutouts, often suggests a handmade finger painting.