Master of Ceremonies Avery Brooks read The Very Hungry Catepillar to the Gala crowd to introduce Eric Carle. Carle, an acclaimed creator of brilliantly illustrated and innovatively designed picture books for very young children, received the NEA Foundation Award for Service to Public Education. His best-known work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold over 22 million copies.