Butterfly from The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Copyright © 1969 and 1987 by Eric Carle.

The Eric Carle Museum Announces 2009 CARLE HONORS RECIPIENTS with our own Kyle Zimmer among them, and opens the 2^nd Annual Art Auction in support of this Benefit Gala event.

This year’s recipients of the coveted Carle Honors Awards include the influential artist Alice Provensen, whose collaborations with her late husband Martin earned them both Caldecott and Newbery medals; Kyle Zimmer, who founded First Book, an organization that has provided more than 65 million new books to tens of thousands of organizations that help children in poverty; the legendary publisher Walter Lorraine, who shepherded many authors to distinguished awards; and Blouke and Marianne Carus, a husband and wife team who founded the groundbreaking children’s literary publishing company that includes CRICKET magazine.

The recipients will be honored on Thursday, September 24th at 6:00 pm at the Midtown Loft & Terrace at 267 5th Avenue in New York City. A limited number of tickets are still on sale, available by calling 413-658-1104.

But how can you help from afar? Check out the second annual Art Auction featuring original works donated by some of the industry’s most celebrated children’s picture book artists, such as Eric Carle, Tomie dePaola, David Macaulay and Chris Van Allsburg. New this year will be the first annual Carle Honors poster created by Mo Willems, who will be on hand to sign. The poster, a gift to any gala guest who makes a $40 donation to the Museum, stars Willems’ popular characters Elephant and Piggie in a comic moment of artistic fervor.

Visit www.carlemuseum.org/carlehonors/auction to view all entries. The artwork and the poster will also be on display at Books of Wonder, 18 West 18th Street in Manhattan, beginning with a free reception open to the public on September 10 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.