‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ Author Eric Carle Dies At 91 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 at his summer studio in Northampton, Massachusetts, with family members at his side. The family’s announcement was issued by Penguin Young Readers. “Heaven just got more colorful,” Peter H. Reynolds, author and illustrator of “The Dot,” wrote in tribute on Twitter. Carle, he said, “made his mark, splashing bravely and inspiring those around him to do the same.”