Irish Examiner view: Death of author Eric Carle

Beloved author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar lit up the lives of millions of young children with his extraordinary imagination

Author Eric Carle, who died at the age of 91 at his home in Massachusetts, published his classic children's book 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' more than 50 years ago. File picture: Richard Drew/AP

The slow turn of the wheel of life was brought into sharp relief this week with news of the death of Eric Carle, author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 

Mr Carle, who died at the age of 91 at his home in Massachusetts, lit up the lives of millions of young children with his extraordinary imagination, and his capacity as an illustrator.

Published in 1969, The Very Hungry Caterpillar had the timeless quality of a piece of work that resonates with successive generations of children in the earliest stages of the wonder of reading. 

Many is the parent who introduced the book to their children, having themselves experienced it in their own childhood.

As Flea, the bass player with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, put it yesterday: “Oh man, I love Eric Carle."

I Cannot count the number of times my children and I were cuddled up, completely enraptured in the glory of his books. 

"He was a gift to humanity. Love forever, broken through to the other side, Eric Carle.”

As fitting an epitaph for an author as one could wish for.