Last week I met Eric Carle. Let me say it a little louder, “Last week I met Eric Carle!”  The man, a world renowned children’s author and illustrator, is 88 years old.  His history is fascinating.  So is he.

My author bucket list started to grow when Peter Spier died this year.  His Star-Spangled Banner, Circus, and Rain books have been staples in my classroom for decades. I always meant to write and tell him so…  His death was my wake-up call.

And then I learned that Eric Carle would be speaking with Annie Lionni, granddaughter of Leo Lionni.

Woah!  Leo Lionni, as in Swimmy, the first book I ever read aloud in my classroom.  The book that changed my life in teaching.

I think you get the picture.

In order to understand this event, here is the back story, well my back story:

I have been reading Eric…