Eric Carle has written and illustrated dozens of books for young children, the most famous being 1969's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Born in New York but raised in Germany, Carle returned to the United States in 1952 and began working in graphics arts, first for the New York Times and then at a New York advertising agency. The first book he illustrated, written by Bill Martin, Jr., was Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1967). Carle then wrote and illustrated 1, 2, 3 To The Zoo (1968), and has been publishing children's books ever since. His distinctive collage-illustration has made his books instantly recognizable, and he has won numerous awards throughout his career. Some of Carle's most popular titles are The Mixed-Up Chameleon (1975), The Very Busy Spider (1984), The Very Quiet Cricket (1990) and The Very Lonely Firefly (1995).

Extra credit: The Very Hungry Caterpillar is said to be one of President George W. Bush's favorite books.