Eric Carle (1929 - ) is an American designer, illustrator, and writer of children's books. He is most famous for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a picture book that has been translated into more than 62 languages and sold more than 44 million copies. Since it was published in 1969 he has illustrated more than 70 books, most of which he also wrote, and more than 138 million copies of his books have been sold around the world. He won the biennial Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his career contribution to American children's literature in 2003. Eric Carle has two grown-up children, a son and a daughter. He divides his time between the Florida Keys and the hills of North Carolina.