![Illustration of underwater reef scene](/sites/default/files/styles/interior_feature_image_medium_/public/2024-06/tl_997_3.jpg?h=7572a830&itok=a-fSGwew)
Jerry Pinkney, Illustration for The Little Mermaid (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers). Gift of Gloria Pinkney. © 2020 Jerry Pinkney.
Open + Shut: Celebrating the Art of Endpapers
Endpapers are the unsung glory of contemporary children’s publishing. Once a purely functional form—sturdy pages glued to the inside of a book’s cardboard covers—endpapers today are often full of wit, surprise, and even deep emotion. As one of the first (and last!) visual elements readers encounter when interacting with a book, endpapers set the mood for the story inside. These can extend the main story, offer a conceptual take on a theme or action, or provide additional visual and narrative information.
Curated by Bruce Handy.
What to expect
Original work by more than 30 artists.