Let's Talk! Animals from the Collection

Frog and Toad, Stuart Little, Peter Rabbit, and Noisy Nora are some of the beloved picture book characters visitors will meet in Let’s Talk! Animals from the Collection. The exhibition examines the longstanding tradition of anthropomorphism—giving human characteristics to animals—in children’s literature. Let’s Talk! features art from The Carle’s world-class holdings. Included are E. H. Shepard’s watercolors of Winnie-the-Pooh, Beatrix Potter’s exquisite drawings of Peter Rabbit, curiosities from Alice in Wonderland, as well as familiar faces from Aesop’s Fables and Little Red Riding Hood. Historical gems by Jean de Brunhoff, Alice Bolam Preston, Leo Lionni, Arnold Lobel, James Marshall, Maurice Sendak, William Steig, and Garth Williams are featured alongside contemporary illustrators such as Ashley Bryan, Petra Mathers, Jerry Pinkney, Rosemary Wells, and Mo Willems.

Exhibition design by Katie Craig. 

Eric Carle: Just for Laughs

An orange elephant, a fish in a birdcage, a snake entwined in spaghetti—Eric Carle’s sense of humor shines through in his picture books. This exhibition features comical collages from The Mixed-Up Chameleon (1975), The Grouchy Ladybug (1977), The Greedy Python (1985), and The Nonsense Show (2015). On view for the first time are four of Carle’s amusing illustrations from the 1971 book The Scarecrow Clock. A selection of illustrated letters and thank you notes further reveal Carle’s wit and personal relationships.

This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Hsin-Yi Foundation.


 

Inside-Outside Dinosaurs: Creating a Book with Roxie Munro

Roxie Munro travels back millions of years to explore a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Young paleontology fans will recognize some of their favorite prehistoric creatures, and perhaps discover new ones. In her book Inside-Outside Dinosaurs, Munro alternates illustrations of dinosaur skeletons with vivid primeval landscapes teeming with life. The exhibition reveals the book-making process, featuring preliminary sketches, thumbnails, book dummies, and correspondence alongside the published art. Munro donated all materials related to the publication to The Carle’s permanent collection in 2019.

Little Books, Big Feelings

Feelings are powerful, mysterious forces. Though we sense them deeply, they can be hard to define. The picture books in this exhibition explore a range of complex emotions. Happiness, grouchiness, grief, anger, and love are just a few of the feelings young visitors and caregivers can learn about. Whether celebrating good times or navigating tougher times, the stories in this show inspire strength and care in readers of all ages. 

Click here to view and purchase books in the exhibition.

 

ART in PLACE: Social Distancing in the Studio

Click here to view this online exhibition. 

Launched in May 2020, curator Mo Willems showcases work made by 21 artists during our national shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each artist shares a statement about making art while in isolation, along with photographs of themselves, their studios, and their work. The featured artists are: Beatrice Alemagna, Sandra Boynton, Ashley Bryan, Raúl Colón, Elisha Cooper, Carson Ellis, Marla Frazee, Michaela Goade, Katie Harnett, Vashti Harrison, Ryan T. Higgins, Will Hillenbrand, Hadley Hooper, Julie Morstad, LeUyen Pham, Amber Ren, Dan Santat, Peter Sís, David Small, Melissa Sweet, and Mo Willems. 

ART in PLACE is The Carle's first online exhibition. 
 

Now & Then: Contemporary Illustrators and their Childhood Art

Click here to view this online exhibition. 

Will you grow up to be an artist? Co-curators Grace Lin and Jarrett J. Krosoczka honor childhood creativity in the online exhibition Now & Then, featuring 19 artists' childhood drawings alongside published illustrations. The pairings inspire young visitors to make connections to their current creations—and their future potential. In addition to Grace and Jarrett, the featured artists are Cece Bell, Nidhi Chanani, Jason Chin, The Fan Brothers, Julie Flett, Jeff Kinney, Elisa Kleven, Barbara Lehman, Rafael López, Oge Mora, Juana Martinez-Neal, Raúl the Third, Shadra Strickland, Don Tate, Evan Turk, and Tillie Walden.