Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

Mixing fine art with childlike simplicity, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is the only museum in America that exclusively celebrates the art of the picture book, a form that is the very foundation of many people’s education. 

Inspired by the copious amounts of picture book museums in Japan, Eric Carle and his wife Barbara established The Carle in 2002. The facility features three galleries of mainly children’s book art. One gallery is devoted to the huge body of work that Carle himself has created over 70 titles including the kid’s book mainstay, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The remaining two galleries are devoted to rotating shows of work from almost every master of picture book art in the business including Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, and Chris VanAllsburg.

The facility’s other central function is as a workshop that encourages children and adults to come and make their own work, celebrating the often unfettered imagination and creation that picture books allow. Ranging from classes that teach children how to draw animals to workshops on block and screen printing, the Carle encourage a wide range of creation for budding artists. 

After influencing multiple generations of young readers, Carle’s modern museum ensures that children for generations to come can appreciate not only his own work, but continue to be inspired to create their own.