Illustration of two birds landing near bush and another bird.
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Leo Lionni, Illustration for Tico and the Golden Wings (Dragonfly Books). Courtesy of the Lionni Family. © 1964 Leo Lionni.

Birds of a Feather: The Art of Eric Carle and Leo Lionni

May 11 - December 9, 2007
Central Gallery
When Eric Carle returned to America from Germany in 1952, a meeting with Leo Lionni, then art director at Fortune magazine, resulted in a friendship and a job lead. Neither Carle nor Lionni ever imagined they would later create some of the most memorable picture books of our time. The similarities between these two artists are striking: their pictures are filled with animals and nature; they draw inspiration from their childhood experiences; and their early careers in graphic design can be seen in their bold simplicity and elegant sense of design.

Featured Artists

Photograph of Eric Carle smiling.

Eric Carle

Eric Carle illustrated brilliant and innovatively designed picture books for children, including his most well-known title, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In 2002, Carle and his wife, Barbara, co-founded The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

Artist website
Photograph of artist.

Leo Lionni

Leo Lionni lived in New York City and Italy. An art director and artist, he brought an elegant sense of design and draftsmanship to picture books—a path he began to pursue at age 49 with the publication of Little Blue and Little Yellow. Lionni served as a mentor for many picture book artists, including Eric Carle.  

Artist website