Celebrate Your Favorite Animals at The Carle’s 9th Annual Children’s Book Festival
Amherst, MA (May 15, 2014)— Visitors to The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art will go wild for the 9th Annual Children’s Book Festival: What’s Your Favorite Animal? on Saturday, June 7th from 10 am to 4 pm. Inspired by What’s Your Favorite Animal?, a new picture book that benefits The Carle, the festival is filled with special guest authors, animal picture book art, and live animals! Each child attending will receive a free copy of the new book, thanks to the books publisher, Henry Holt and Company. All activities are free with Museum Admission. Animal costumes are welcome!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
What’s Your Favorite Animal? by Eric Carle and Friends features 14 talented authors who share stories and illustrations about their favorite animals. Guests at the Museum can see the original artwork from the book in The Carle’s gallery and watch the picture book come to life with presentations from two of the contributing artists, Nick Bruel and Peter McCarty. Bruel, known for his laugh-out-loud Bad Kitty series, and McCarty, author of many animal-centered books including Hondo & Fabian and Henry in Love, will sign books and lead a drawing activity for children, who will each receive a sketchbook.
Children are invited to bring their favorite stuffed animals to the Museum for special activities. Artists Diane deGroat, Astrid Scheckels, David Hyde Costello, and Jeff Mack will draw doodles of guests’ stuffed animals. A book signing will follow each artist’s drawing session. In the Art Studio, guests can make houses for their stuffed friends and create their own matching animal ears.
Guests will also have the chance to meet live animals. They can learn about New England’s Bright Spot Therapy Dogs who serve as the perfect Reading Buddies to help young readers build confidence and practice reading aloud. The Art Studio will hostAmazing Animals!, a workshop with the Hitchcock Center for the Environment which allows guests to draw from live animals. The Carle will celebrate creatures big and small with storytimes, films, face painting, and a museum-wide animal scavenger hunt. Food from Foley’s Franks and SugarBakers Cake Truck will be available throughout the day. Don’t miss The Carle’s all-day transformation into a Museum menagerie!
Features Artists and Authors
Nick Bruel, author/illustrator of the Bad Kitty series and contributor to What’s Your Favorite Animal?
David Hyde Costello, author/illustrator of Little Pig Joins the Band and I Can Help
Diane deGroat, author/illustrator of Charlie the Ranch Dog and books about Gilbert the opossum
Jeff Mack, author/illustrator of Good News Bad News and the Clueless McGee series
Peter McCarty, author/illustrator of Little Bunny on the Move and contributor to What’s Your Favorite Animal?
Astrid Sheckels, author/illustrator of Nic and Nellie and Black Cloud
About the Museum
The mission of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, a non-profit organization in Amherst, MA, is to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. The only full-scale museum of its kind in the United States, The Carle collects, preserves, presents, and celebrates picture books and picture book illustrations from around the world. In addition to underscoring the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of picture books and their art form, The Carle offers educational programs that provide a foundation for arts integration and literacy.
Eric and Barbara Carle founded the Museum in November 2002. Eric Carle is the renowned author and illustrator of more than 70 books, including the 1969 classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Since opening, the 40,000-square foot facility has served more than half a million visitors, including 30,000 schoolchildren. Its extensive resources include a collection of more than 12,000 picture book illustrations, three art galleries, an art studio, a theater, picture book and scholarly libraries, and educational programs for families, scholars, educators, and schoolchildren. Educational offerings include professional training for educators around the country. Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 12 noon to 5 p.m. Open Mondays in July and August and during MA school vacation weeks. Admission is $9 for adults, $6 for children under 18, and $22.50 for a family of four. For further information and directions, call 413-658-1100 or visit the Museum’s website at www.carlemuseum.org.
IMAGES ARE AVAILABLE FOR REPRODUCTION For additional press information and/or images, please contact Sandy Soderberg, Marketing Manager (413) 658–1105 / sandys@carlemuseum.org
