Eric Carle

Who do you know that has eaten through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon? ...the Hungry Caterpillar! Many of you have probably either read this book or had it read to you many times. Do you know who wrote and illustrated it? A man named Eric Carle. He believed that children's picture books are often a child's first introduction to art. He wrote and illustrated books to teach children the beauty, the seriousness and the fun of art!

Eric Carle's work is instantly recognizable because he created his art using a technique called collage. He hand-painted papers, which he then cut and pasted down in layers to form bright and cheerful images. Most of his stories involve animals, and his pictures always use different shades of bright colors. Eric Carle illustrated more than 70 books, many of which he also wrote, and more than 88 million copies of his books have been sold around the world.  While he is not alive today, he is one of the most-loved children's authors/illustrators of all time.

Today, we will create like Eric Carle and we will create our own brightly colored, collage animals.