Let's put it this way: if you are a novelist, I think you start out with a 20 word idea, and you work at it and you wind up with a 200,000 word novel. We, picture-book people, or at least I, start out with 200,000 words and I reduce it to 20.

His first wholly original book was 123 to the Zoo followed quickly by The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Carle received an honorary doctorate from Bates College in 2007. When I say standing I mean the roof and windows are gone and the doors.

Since it was publiEric Carled in 1969 he has illustrated more than 70 books most of which he also wrote and more than 103 million copies of his books have been sold around the world. Eric Carle (born June 25 1929) is an American designer illustrator and writer of children's books.