They both carved out sterling reputations as military and political leaders over years of public service.

A beloved children’s author and illustrator whose classic “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and other works gave millions of kids some of their earliest and most cherished literary memories, has died.

This cover image released by Random House Childrens Books shows "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster. The celebrated architect and childrens author who fashioned a special world of his own in The Phantom Tollbooth died at age 91. His death was confirmed Tuesday by a spokesperson for Random House Children's Books. Juster's death was confirmed Tuesday by a spokesperson for Random House Children's Books, who did not immediately provide details. “The funny thing is that many of the things I was thinking about for that book did find their way into ‘The Phantom Tollbooth,’" he wrote in 1999.

Who doesn’t love “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” (And the polar bear version. And the panda edition!) Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle definitely have that formula down to a science. And well, the classics are the classics for a reason, and most parents can probably agree there will be room for those books on any shelf.