Bestselling picture book author Eric Carle will publish his first new picture book in more than four years in October. The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse will be published simultaneously by Penguin's Philomel imprint in the U.S., and by Puffin in the U.K. Philomel has set a 300,000-copy first printing.

Inspired by expressionist painter Franz Marc, The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse tells of an artist who “paints the world as he sees it.” Said Carle in a statement, “When I was in high school, in WWII Germany, I was secretly shown works by the banned Expressionist painters by my teacher Herr Krauss. This was an experience that changed my life and had a deep impact on me.” Carle has written and/or illustrated more than 70 books, which have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.