The Eric Carle Museum Welcomes Eric Carle for a Book Signing

Amherst, MA (May 16, 2016)—The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is pleased to announce that their beloved co-founder Eric Carle will return to sign books and meet fans on Saturday, May 28 at 10:00 am. Museum members will receive priority line placement and may enter early at 9:30 am. The signing is free with Museum Admission.

Eric Carle has illustrated more than 70 books. His latest book The Nonsense Show, published last October, is a book to make children laugh and use their imagination by introducing them to different artistic styles. It made Time Magazine’s Top 10 Children’s Books of 2015. It follows on the heels of The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, an homage to the artist Franz Marc and expressionism, and Friends, with its semi-abstract artwork. Carle is one of the true legends and pioneers of picture-book making who continues to expand and challenge the genre.

Born in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1929, Carle moved with his parents to Germany when he was six years old. He was educated there and graduated from the prestigious art school the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Stuttgart. His dream was always to return to America, the land of his happiest childhood memories. In 1952 he finally arrived back in New York, where he found work as a graphic designer in the promotion department of The New York Times. Later, he became an art director at an advertising agency.

Carle’s literary career began in 1967 when respected educator and author Bill Martin Jr. asked Carle to illustrate a story he had written. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is the result of their collaboration and is still a favorite with children everywhere. Soon Carle was writing his own stories. His first wholly original book was 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo (1968), followed afterward by the celebrated classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969).

Carle’s books have been read by millions of children all over the world and have been translated into 62 languages. Today, Carle has illustrated more than 70 books, many of them best sellers, most of which he also wrote. More than 132 million copies of his books have sold worldwide.

Carle and his late wife Barbara Carle co-founded The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA in 2002.

Signing Guidelines

A limited number of tickets to the signing will be distributed to visitors on the day of the event. The general public will be admitted at 10:00 am. Museum members will be admitted at 9:30 am. No tickets are available in advance.

• Limit 3 books total per ticket holder (includes 1 book from home per group or family)
• No personalization
• Eric will be signing books only
• No flash photography allowed
• The signing is in person only; we are not able to accommodate online orders that need to be shipped. 

About the Museum

The mission of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, a non-profit organization in Amherst, MA, is to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. The only full-scale museum of its kind in the United States, The Carle collects, preserves, presents, and celebrates picture books and picture book illustrations from around the world. In addition to underscoring the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of picture books and their art form, The Carle offers educational programs that provide a foundation for arts integration and literacy. Eric and the late Barbara Carle founded the Museum in November 2002. Eric Carle is the renowned author and illustrator of more than 70 books, including the 1969 classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Since opening, the 43,000-square foot facility has served more than half a million visitors, including 30,000 schoolchildren. The Carle houses more than 13,000 objects, including 6,600 permanent collection illustrations. The Carle has three art galleries, an art studio, a theater, picture book and scholarly libraries, and educational programs for families, scholars, educators, and schoolchildren. Educational offerings include professional training for educators around the country and Master’s degree programs in children’s literature with Simmons College. Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 12 noon to 5 p.m. Open Mondays in July and August and during MA school vacation weeks. Admission is $9 for adults, $6 for children under 18, and $22.50 for a family of four. For further information and directions, call 413-658-1100 or visit the Museum’s website at www.carlemuseum.org