'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' author Eric Carle dies at 91

Eric Carle in 2009. Photo / AP

Eric Carle, the beloved children's author and illustrator whose classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other works gave millions of kids some of their earliest and most cherished literary memories, has died at age 91.

Carle's family says he died Sunday (local time) at his summer studio in Northampton, Massachusetts, with family members at his side. The family's announcement was issued by Penguin Young Leaders.

Through books like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Do You Want to Be My Friend? and From Head to Toe, Carle introduced universal themes in simple words and bright colours.

"The unknown often brings fear with it," he once observed. "In my books I try to counteract this fear, to replace it with a positive message. I believe that children are naturally creative and eager to learn. I want to show them that learning is really both fascinating and fun."

Cover page of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Photo / Supplied

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, published in 1969, was welcomed by parents and delighted kids with its story of the metamorphosis of a green and red caterpillar with a touch of blue and brown to a proudly multi-coloured butterfly.

Originally conceived as a book about a bookworm — called A Week with Willi the Worm — the hero, who eats through 26 different foods, was changed to a caterpillar on the advice of his editor. It has sold some 40 million copies and has been translated into 60 languages, spawned stuffed animal caterpillars and has been turned into a stage play.

"I remember that as a child, I always felt I would never grow up and be big and articulate and intelligent," Carle told The New York Times in 1994. "Caterpillar is a book of hope: you, too, can grow up and grow wings."

Carle wrote and-or illustrated more than 75 books, sometimes partnering with Bill Martin Jr or other authors, but most with Carle working alone. One of his last books was 2015's The Nonsense Show, which centred on a parade of flying fish, cat-taming mice and circus animals.

Eric Carle reads from Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See in New York, 2007. Photo / AP

In 2002, Carle and his late wife, Barbara Carle, founded The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Based in Amherst, Massachusetts, the nonprofit, 40,000-square-foot arts centre is a showcase for picture book illustrations from around the world. He received lifetime achievement awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Library Association.

He is survived by a son and a daughter.