Mr. Carle, “The little caterpillar Nimmersatt“ in millions of children’s rooms. You’re still working on picture books?
no, I stopped. Instead, I busy myself with Paul Klee and his representations of Angels. Clover fascinated me ever since I became acquainted with his art after the war.
As you have been to the children’s book author?
Gipe Photo
Carle was born in 1929 in Syracuse, New York. Since 1966, he created nearly 70 books have been sold worldwide, 145 million times – alone, “The little caterpillar Nimmersatt” 46 million Times. The book has been translated into 62 languages (photo: Carle in the eighties in Germany in a reading). Other works by him, The small beetles are “always naughty” or “The little mouse searches for a friend”. In 2002, he opened his Museum of picture book art in Amherst, Massachusetts. Carle has two grown-up children, his wife Bobbie died in 2015.
I was art Director in an advertising Agency in New York, and an Illustration that I designed for an ad that showed a Hummer. It pleased the editor of a major publishing house, and he asked me, his book “Brown bear, who do you see there?” to illustrate. It has made me so much fun that I decided to be an author for children. That was in 1966.
Why did you books about insects?
My father often took me to the meadows on walks and forests. He explained to me the small insects, we collected beetles and rescued injured birds. I found it interesting to make books about insects as metaphors for children.
Why children like her books are still so much?
for Years, my publisher and I did not understand. But at some point it was clear to me: It’s the hope of history. You will, for example, such as the very hungry caterpillar, a small and even ugly beast, large and beautifully unfold your wings, your Talent, and in the future, fly.
your own life story is pretty incredible. You were born in 1929, in New York, moved with their parents but in the Nazi time to Stuttgart.
My grandmother had five children, three of them were living in the United States. In 1934, she attended and asked them to come back home. My father refused, but my mother got homesick and convinced him. So we moved in 1935, to Feuerbach.
When you were 15, was transported in your school class on the West wall. What happened there?
We had to boys the trenches digging. Everywhere was Chaos, to put it mildly. There were fighter planes and machine-gun fire, no one provided us. I got a bad skin rash and was given permission to go home. On the drive home, it came to deep attacks, I jumped out of the train and sought shelter wherever it was possible.
they remained in Germany. Why?
I studied at the Academy of fine arts in Stuttgart. Thereafter, the first Work for the local America house, about a dozen posters were screen-printed. In 1952 I moved back to the USA, introduced me to the “New York Times” and got a Job as a graphic designer.
that Was your breakthrough?
no, after half a year I was drafted during the Korean war in the U.S. army. Because I spoke English, transferred me to Mannheim, and later to Stuttgart. I was the division’s letter carrier. Because I was an artist, I had to remove the crest in front of the headquarters after each rain fresh.
In your books, you meet the aspirations of the animals. If you could self-fulfill a great dream, what would it be?
As it is so beautiful in the 9. Beethoven-Symphony is sung: All people are brothers.
Interview: Annett Heide
