Eric Carle

You may know Eric Carle's story The Very Hungry Caterpillar but did you know that the author has written over 40 books? Much of his work has been translated into other languages, from Arabic to Polish and from German to Japanese!

So why have I included Eric Carle in a website for learning German? Well, although he was born in Syracuse, New York, his parents were German immigrants. Because both parents were German speakers Eric's first language or mother tongue was German. He grew up hearing and speaking German at home and used English to communicate with other children at school and with people in his own neighbourhood. Someone who speaks two languages fluently is bilingual. Many Germans moved to the United States in 1920s and 30s in search of a better life.

When he was six years old Eric moved to Stuttgart, Germany with his family. He completed his schooling in Germany and returned to the USA when he was in his twenties. After working as an art director for The New York Times for some years his career took a different turn. He was approached by children's writer Bill Martin Junior whose eye had been caught by a picture of a red lobster that Eric had produced for an advertisement. The two men worked together to create Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? which went on to become a firm favourite with parents and children the world over.



German version of Eric Carle's first book

You can watch the German version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar below.