Acclaimed children's author and illustrator Eric Carle, perhaps best remembered for his classic story "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," died at age 91, publisher Penguin Kids said on Twitter.

The Washington Post, citing a statement from his family, reported Carle died at his home in Northampton, Massachusetts on Sunday.

Carle's signature children's book, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," published in 1969, has been translated into more than 66 languages and has sold more than 50 million copies, according to his official website eric-carle.com.

His body of work, distinguished by brightly colored illustrations, consisted of more than 70 titles, including "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?," "The Grouchy Ladybug" and "Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me."

According to the Washington Post, more than 170 million copies of Carle's books have sold in several dozen languages.

In addition to his work as an author and illustrator of children's stories, Carle was a noted artist and designer. At age 87, he embarked on a series of cardboard and abstract, found-object collages depicting angels, which he dedicated to the artist Paul Klee.

According to Carle's website, Klee created over 70 drawings and paintings of angels during his lifetime.