A Literacy Field Trip: The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
"Again!" is the word I most often heard after reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle to my children. It is a word many parents hear when they read Mr. Carle's books out loud. Now children of all ages can see Mr. Carle's vibrant illustrations, as well as many other illustrators' colorful works, at the new Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts.
For more than two centuries, illustrations have excited children about books and reading. A family outing to a museum or gallery that exhibits original illustrations from familiar books will not only spur kids to read more, it will introduce them to the world of art. Seeing illustrations up close, and seeing how illustrations are made, will inspire young people to use their imaginations to create their own art.
Located on the Hampshire College campus, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is a museum that entertains and educates. It is the first full-scale museum in the United States devoted to international picture book art with the aim of "celebrating the art that we are first exposed to as children and that we carry with us throughout our lives." Along with ever refreshed exhibits of Mr. Carle's work, the museum features special exhibits of world renowned illustrators. It offers classes and workshops for children and their families, as well as professional workshops for teachers and librarians. The museum website, www.picturebookart.org, is a wonderful children's literature and literacy resource center for parents and teachers.
Once, a child wrote informing Eric Carle that he was a "good picture writer." Reacting to the child's observation, Mr. Carle commented, "I would like to be remembered as a picture writer and as someone who has opened a door for children to the world of pictures and words."
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art does indeed open a door for children to the world of pictures and words. It wouldn't surprise me if the first word your child says after visiting Mr. Carle's museum is "Again!"
Upcoming special exhibits at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art will feature
the work of: Ashley Bryan, Leo Lionni, William Steig, Jeanne Steig, Dr. Seuss,
Margot and Kaethe Zemach, and the many artists who have illustrated books written
by Margaret Wise Brown. For special exhibit dates, directions, hours of operation,
and other information about the museum, visit www.picturebookart.org
Additional Field Trip Ideas
Check your local libraries and art museums; they often exhibit the work of book illustrators. The following museums, galleries, and websites offer ongoing and special exhibits of children's book art.
- The Brandywine Museum in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. www.brandywinemuseum.org
- Cotsen Children's Library at Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey. www.princeton.edu/~cotsen/
- The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. www.lib.usm.edu/~degrum/
- Elizabeth Stone Gallery in Birmingham, Michigan. www.esgallery.com
- Every Picture Tells A Story Gallery in Los Angeles, CA. www.everypicture.com
- The Keene State College Children's Literature Festival Gallery Collection at Keene State College, Keene, New Hampshire. www.keene.edu/clf/gallery.cfm
- The Kerlan Collection in Minneapolis, Minnesota. http://special.lib.umn.edu/clrc/kerlan/index.php
- The Mazza Collection at the University of Findley, Findley, Ohio. www.mazzacollection.org/
- National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature in Abilene, Texas. www.nccil.org
- The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. www.nrm.org/
- R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton, Massachusetts. www.rmichelson.com/index.htm
- The Society of Illustrators in New York, New York. www.societyillustrators.org/
© 2003 Mary Brigid Barrett
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