The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Inspires Peace, Love, and Understanding

At a time when the world can feel divided and uncertain, picture book art offers us a reminder of what truly matters: the values of peace, love, and our shared humanity. Art—particularly picture book art—has a pivotal role in shaping young minds and fostering a world of hope.

Thanks to your unwavering support, today we celebrate the incredible artistry displayed in our exhibitions and collections and the profound messages of unity, compassion, and kindness found within the art of picture books. Our current exhibitions feature:

• Fuzuê! Invention & Imagination in the Art of Roger Mello, the first United States exhibition and residency for Brazilian artist Mello, the first Latin-American artist to win the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international honor for picture book illustration.  
• Free to Be … You and Me: 50 Years of Stories and Songs, celebrating the enduring impact of the groundbreaking 1972 project created by Marlo Thomas with an incredible variety of illustrations and messages which remain as relevant today as they were 50 years ago.
• Artful Collaboration: Eric Carle & Ann Beneduce, exploring the ways that the intellectual friendship and partnership between Eric Carle and his legendary editor created unique and timeless picture books that pushed publishing boundaries and became beloved all over the world.
• A special display of our new acquisition to The Carle’s permanent collection, the iconic cover for Jerry Pinkney’s Caldecott-winning adaptation of Aesop’s timeless fable The Lion & the Mouse.  

Roger Mello, Jerry Pinkney, Eric Carle, and Marlo Thomas found themes in their formative years which profoundly influenced their work and impact. Mello grew up under a dictatorship in Brazil where books were banned, yet picture books were left untouched by the regime. Picture books were a window for him to the ideas of equality and freedom. A visual storyteller, Pinkney often reinterpreted classic tales by challenging stereotypes, recasting characters, and imagining new settings. As a young art student, Carle was shown forbidden and “degenerate” art that inspired him to create art that was bold, bright, and powerful. Thomas wanted children to grow up free from rigid stereotypes and created a picture book, record, and TV series to challenge gender roles and open a world of possibilities for everyone.

Like these brilliant artists and thinkers, we know that picture book art is a crucially important vehicle to enable people to face and think about complicated issues and to develop empathy and kindness. Unfettered access to art and picture books is critical for children to become compassionate adults who can navigate the world around them.  

We Need Your Support

The work of The Eric Carle Museum would not be possible without the generosity of individuals like you. When you donate to The Carle, you help share the simple, yet profound messages found in picture book art to inspire generations to live with kindness, love, and understanding. Please make a gift today by clicking the donate button below or by calling us at 413-559-6310. Your gift, no matter the size, will help us continue to grow and share the magic of picture book art with the world.

Top: Pamela Zagarenski, Illustration for The Fabled Life of Aesop by Ian Lendler (Clarion Books). Gift of the artist in honor of Alix Kennedy. © 2020 Pamela Zagarenski.