As always, a trip to the Eric Carle Museum is full of the unexpected, with moments that linger long after my visit. First, I met Penelope in the hallway.
Penelope Rex is the character in Ryan Higgins' new book. It is an outstanding book, and Penelope is a character every child loves. She's a T-Rex dinosaur, yet she's just like the child who reads the book - with worries, adventures, and feelings.
Her new pet is Mittens, the saber-toothed cat. Yes, Mittens is a big problem for Penelope. I can't wait to read this book to my preschoolers in the fall. This is coming from yours truly, the 'Mrs. Picky' of picture books. I highly recommend this book.
The author, Ryan Higgins, was the big event at the museum, reading the book to a packed house. I decided to wear my Mother Bruce apron the museum gave to me, as Mother Bruce is one of his first books, and still an all-time favorite. Ryan was thrilled, and we had our picture taken together. Of course he signed the apron.
I'm holding a Mother Bruce stuffed bear. Now, I need a Penelope and a Mittens stuffed animal.
The exhibits at the Eric Carle Museum never disappoint. I leave feeling exhilarated, with a full heart and soul. Really. How can one not be 'moved' by Eric Carle's magnificent art?
This exhibit is all about birds, "Birdwatching with Eric Carle". If you like birds, this is an exhibit not to be missed. I couldn't stop looking at the rooster. Being inches away from 'the real deal' is humbling. If you're in western Massachusetts, the exhibit is there through most of August.
Do you know metafiction, in art? Metafiction is fiction about fiction - books that contain pictures about pictures and stories about stories.
When crayons go on strike in The Day the Crayons Quit by Oliver Jeffers, one of the best books, there it was - Duncan's green crayon and letter.
The classics were there; Little Fur Family, Grover in The Monster at the End of This Book, and Harold and the Purple Crayon. Mo Willems' Pigeon books have become the new classic.
Wordless books that take the reader into a new world were part of the exhibit. Journey, by Aaron Becker and Flotsam, by David Wiesner are two of the best. These books take the imagination on great adventures, and they spark language and dialogue.
This exhibit 'has it all'.
I was recently featured in a monthly magazine for our community. What could be better than me holding a print of The Very Hungry Caterpillar? The museum was excited to get the publication.
Jennie
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