NPR reports he sold 50 million books:
"According to a family statement, Eric Carle "passed away peacefully and surrounded by family members on May 23, 2021 at his summer studio in Northampton, Massachusetts." He was 91 years old.
Eric Carle's picture books were often about insects. Spiders, lady bugs, crickets and of course, that famous caterpillar, all as colorful and friendly as Carle himself. The Very Hungry Caterpillar — probably Carle's best-known work — came out in 1969 and became one of the bestselling children's books of all time.
According to his publisher, Carl survived a childhood in Germany
during World War Two. He grew up to found a museum celebrating picture books in Massachusetts, and he said he wanted his to be a place where learning and playing are the same"
www.theatlantic.com
