Bill Text: NY J01132 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourning the death of Eric Carle Jr., beloved children's author and illustrator, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-06-08 - ADOPTED [J01132 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-J01132-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 1132

BY: Senator MANNION

        MOURNING  the  death  of  Eric  Carle Jr., beloved
        children's  author  and  illustrator,  distinguished
        citizen and devoted member of his community

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens  of  the  State  of  New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life  in  their  communities  and  this
great Empire State; and

  WHEREAS,  Eric Carle Jr. died on Sunday, May 23, 2021, at the age of
91; and

  WHEREAS, Eric Carle Jr. was born on June 25, 1929, in Syracuse,  New
York, to German immigrants Erich and Johanna Carle; when he was just six
years-old,  the  Carle  family  moved  back  to Germany, just before the
beginning of World War II; and

  WHEREAS, While in Germany, Eric Carle Jr. was beaten at  school  and
was  fired  at  by  soldiers;  his  father  disappeared  into  a Russian
prisoner-of-war camp after being drafted to fight for the Nazis, leaving
young Eric and his mother hungry during the war; and

  WHEREAS, After graduating from a leading  German  art  school,  Eric
Carle  Jr. returned to the United States in 1952; he worked as a graphic
designer in the promotion  department  of  The  New  York  Times  before
switching to advertising; and

  WHEREAS, Eric Carle Jr. also fought for the United States during the
Korean  War;  he did not begin to write children's books until he was in
his 40s; and

  WHEREAS, Eric Carle  Jr.  wrote  and-or  illustrated  more  than  75
children's  books,  including  the  classic  The Very Hungry Caterpillar
which 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-colored butterfly; and

  WHEREAS, The Very  Hungry  Caterpillar  has  sold  over  40  million
copies,  has  been  translated  into  60  languages, has spawned stuffed
animal caterpillars, and has been turned into a stage play; and

  WHEREAS, In 2014, Eric Carle Jr. released  the  children's  book  he
titled  Friends;  he  built  the  book  around a photo taken in Syracuse
during his early childhood, a photo that showed him hugging a small girl
in a white dress; he included the photo in  the  book  with  a  personal
note,  which  read:  I often think about my long-ago friend and I wonder
what happened to her; and

  WHEREAS, In 2015, Eric Carle Jr. worked with journalist  Sean  Kirst
to  track  down  the woman in the photo; the girl was identified in what
was deemed an "Easter miracle" by the Syracuse  Post-Standard,  and  the
two were reunited some 80 years after the photo was taken; and

  WHEREAS,  The  story  behind  Friends  was  Eric  Carle Jr.'s way of
remembering his fond memories of Syracuse, New York, a  place  dominated
by  color and nature; in wartime Germany, everything was gray and brown,
and the cities were all camouflaged with  grays  and  greens  and  brown
greens, there was no color; and

  WHEREAS,  One  of  his  last  books,  The  Nonsense  Show, which was
published in 2015, was centered on a parade of flying  fish,  cat-taming
mice and circus animals; and

  WHEREAS,  Eric  Carle Jr.'s commitment to excellence, and his spirit
of humanity, carried over  into  all  fields  of  enterprise,  including
charitable and civic endeavors; and

  WHEREAS,  In  2002, Eric Carle Jr. 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  center  is  a
showcase for picture  book  illustrations  from  around  the  world;  he
received  Lifetime  Achievement  Awards from both the National Endowment
for the Arts and the American Library Association; and

  WHEREAS, Eric Carle Jr. is survived by a son and a daughter; and

  WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a  sense  of
compassion, Eric Carle Jr. leaves behind a legacy which will long endure
the  passage  of  time  and will remain as a comforting memory to all he
served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
mourn  the  death  of  Eric  Carle  Jr.,  and  to  express  its  deepest
condolences to his family; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the family of Eric Carle Jr.