Eric Carle, creator of such phenomenally popular children’s books as The Very Hungry Caterpillar, will present the 31st Annual McFadden Memorial Lecture April 25, 7 p.m. at the North Central High School Auditorium, 1801 E. 86th St.

Carle was born in New York to German emigrants, but at age 6 he returned to a Germany on the brink of war. Art wasn’t endorsed or approved by the Nazi machine, but he eventually went on to study commercial art at Akedemie de bildenden Künste in Stuttgart. In 1952, Carle returned to New York and, in 1967, he illustrated the classic children’s book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. Carle followed that with his book 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo. In 1969, it would be the publication of the internationally-loved The Very Hungry Caterpillar that marked the beginning of his groundbreaking picture books that bridged the gap between a touchable book and a readable toy.

The free 2008 McFadden Memorial Lecture is sponsored by the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation and The Patricia Cornwell Foundation. Call 317-275-4099 for more information.