Eric Carle Did Not Disagree With His Publisher Over The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Claim
Popular children's book author Eric Carle disagreed with his publisher over the stomachache scene in his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
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Emerging story
On May 23, the popular children’s book author and illustrator Eric Carle died at age 91. After the news of his death, a quote from an alleged interview began to spread on social media. In the quote, Carle describes a disagreement with his publisher over the stomachache scene in his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
In the book, the caterpillar devours an enormous feast, which is followed by an upset stomach. Carle allegedly says that he originally intended for the caterpillar to begin its metamorphosis immediately after, but the publisher thought that some consequence should follow his overeating. “This disgusted me,” reads the quote. “It ran entirely contrary to the message in the book. The caterpillar is, after all, very hungry, as sometimes we all are. He has recognized an immense appetite within him and has indulged it, and the experience transforms him, betters him. Including the punitive stomachache ruined the effect. It compromised the book.”
Misbar’s Analysis
The quote is not actually from Eric Carle himself, but from a parody written for the literary magazine, The Paris Review. It was published in 2015 on April Fools Day.
After the quote went viral, The Paris Review added a disclaimer above the original interview, which states, in part, “It is a fictional interview, and intended purely as a parody. It is not intended to communicate any true or factual information, and is for entertainment purposes only.”
