New Exhibition Reveals Creative Duo Behind Beloved Picture Books

(AMHERST, MA, August 14, 2024) – This fall, a special exhibition at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art explores a collaborative partnership built on mutual respect, trust, and a shared commitment to creating the best possible work. On view from September 7, 2024 through March 9, 2025, Artful Collaboration: Eric Carle & Ann Beneduce explores the 50-year professional relationship between the beloved picture book artist and author Eric Carle (1929-2021) and the legendary picture book editor Ann Beneduce (1918-2021).

The exhibition includes never-before-exhibited art, correspondence, and photographs from Carle and Beneduce’s work together on iconic books such as 1, 2, 3, to the Zoo (1968) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969), to their final collaboration The Nonsense Show (2015). The two worked together throughout Carle’s entire career, with Carle following Beneduce as she moved to different publishing houses and continuing to collaborate even after her retirement.

“A special relationship between author and editor is crucial to the success of a book,” said Carle. “Ann’s and my…working relationship…operates on the same wavelength and is marked by deep mutual respect and affection.”

Exhibition Highlights

The exhibition traces the duo’s relationship through five decades in the publishing industry. At a time when women were often genre-bound to cookbooks, mysteries, and children’s books, Beneduce started her career at Doubleday, Lippincott, and then World Publishing, where she rose to lead the children’s book department. In the early 1960s she met Carle, who was working as an advertising art director and freelance illustrator. “It was clear to me at once that an enormously talented artist had burst upon the children’s book scene,” said Beneduce.

On view are some of the duo’s earliest work together, including 1987 re-illustrations for 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo (1968), the first picture book that Carle both wrote and illustrated. Less confident in his skills as an author, Beneduce encouraged Carle to try his hand at both story and illustration. When Carle first presented The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) to Beneduce as “Willi the Worm,” she suggested changing the character to one with a more dramatic journey—at her mention of “Caterpillar?,” Carle exclaimed “Butterfly!”

When they worked on a book, Carle and Beneduce traded notes, sketches, and letters, many of which are on view in the exhibition. Every time Carle told Beneduce that this was his “last book,” she just chuckled. On view are original illustrations from The Nonsense Show (2015), the last book Carle authored and illustrated on his own with Beneduce as consulting editor, including a yellow rubber duck with human feet. The book’s humorous tone and imagery capture the pair’s contagious enthusiasm.

Also on view are examples of Carle’s abstract artworks, which he created as personal gifts for family and friends, including Beneduce. These works often demonstrate Carle’s technical ability beyond representative illustration. Some collages showcasing Carle’s “love affair with color” include For Anne [sic] (1997) with bold blocks of hand-painted patterned tissue paper, and a playful personalized work from 2015 that depicts Beneduce dressed as a butterfly.

About The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

Founded in 2002, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is the international champion of picture book art. Situated on 7.5 acres in Amherst, Massachusetts, The Carle houses a rich and deep collection of art of more than 300 picture book artists, including Eric Carle (author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar), and illuminates its collection through exhibitions, education, programming, and art-making—making it a critical resource for picture book artists and authors, and art-loving communities locally, nationally, and abroad. The Carle’s mission is to elevate picture book art and inspire a love of art, art creation, and reading. Since opening its doors more than 20 years ago, The Carle has welcomed more than one million visitors—plus more than four million additional museumgoers who have enjoyed its touring exhibitions around the world.

For further information, please contact: Amanda Domizio, Amanda Domizio Communications 347-229-2877 / amanda@domiziopr.com