My goal in writing this blog is to find little heard of books that we have fallen in love with, in hopes that a few will become your favorites too. And also to profile the great children's book writers. Who are the men and women behind these beloved books?
It seems strange that I have yet to profile Eric Carle because he is such a master in the world of children's books. In fact, sometimes his books are so prevalent (dentist office waiting rooms for example) that I forget to really notice what a master he is at his work.
For one thing, he creates all his books using painted tissue paper which he then uses an exacto knife to carve out into shapes. Check this out to see him in action-- it's extraordinary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1sQb7YOFu0
Mirette and I checked this book out from the library and actually painted some tissue paper together. It came out beautifully and I want to do more of this.
Another thing he is great at is creating books that aren't confined to the box. The Hungry Caterpiller, for instance, is a very interactive book with pages that get bigger and holes in the illustrations. Papa, Please Get me Moon for Me includes a big fold out page with a long ladder up to the moon.
Finally, the third amazing Eric Carle technique is his simplicity. A lot of his books are about nature and curiosity.
For a great video that sums all this up, try this: Eric Carle: Picture Writer. We found a copy at our library.
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