Children's book illustrations exhibit headed to art museum

We're a lover of Eric Carle books in my house. I've read them to my five-year-old since she was a baby. And now she's reading them to her baby sister.

The headliner, of course, is American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell, which will open the same day. You'll need tickets for the Rockwell exhibit.

But the four others, including Fins and Feathers, will be free.

Fins and Feathers will feature illustrations from the late 1960s to today, including Carle (author/illustrator of nearly 40 books including "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See?"), Leo Lionni (of "Swimmy" and "Frederick" among others), and Petra Mathers (of the Lottie's World series and others).

The illustrations come from the Eric Carle Museum, which Carle established in 2002. The museum in Amherst, Mass., is devoted exclusively to original picture book art. This will definitely be a family-friendly exhibit with lots of pictures for kids to get excited about or recognize from their own books at home, including a daydreaming fish, day-tripping chickens and a mixed-up chameleon.

The Rockwell exhibit also will be a great family activity as well. 

The art museum has lots of other family-friendly events coming up.

There's the Dan Zanes concert at 4 p.m. this Sunday. Open Dream: Peril of the Red Planet is at 4 p.m. Aug. 28. The Open Dream Ensemble is a professional outreach program of the UNC School of the Arts. It presents original theater productions to young audiences throughout the southeast.

And the Paperhand Puppet Intervention moves its giant puppets and big summer show from Chapel Hill to the art museum Sept. 10 and Sept. 11.

The museum also will continue its children's performances, Family Fun Saturdays and Preschool Playshops this fall. The details are being hashed out now. Stay tuned. So nice to have the museum open again!