THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING

Today marks the first day of Spring!! Hip hip hooray! It's also the 40th anniversary of the publication of Eric Carle's THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLER. Check out this wonderful google.com home screen that celebrates the first day of spring, Eric and his fabulous children's classic. Also make sure to check out Eric's site at www.eric-carle.com

I have always wanted to go to Eric's Museum of Picture Book Art. I think that's got to be on our 2009 list of must-visits! It's only about 3 hours away from here!

The mission of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is to inspire, especially in children and their families, an appreciation for and an understanding of the art of the picture book. In fulfilling our mission, we aspire to build bridges to an appreciation of art of every kind and to provide an enriching, dynamic, and supportive context for the development of literacy. We deliver this mission by collecting, presenting and celebrating the art of the picture book from around the world and by providing interactive experiences and programs that are engaging and educational.

Together with his wife Barbara, Eric Carle, the renowned author and illustrator of more than 70 books, including the 1969 classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar, founded The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art as the first full-scale museum in this country devoted to national and international picture book art, conceived and built with the aim of celebrating the art we know first. Through the exploration of images that are familiar and beloved, it is the Museum’s goal to foster connections between visual and verbal literacy and to provide visitors of all ages and backgrounds with the opportunity to explore their own creativity and the confidence to appreciate and enjoy art of every kind.

The Museum’s 40,000 square-foot building houses three Galleries dedicated to rotating exhibitions of picture book art from around the world; a hands-on Art Studio for creating masterpieces of one’s own; an Auditorium for performances, films, and lectures; a comfortable Library for reading and storytelling; a Café serving simple and delicious fare; and a Museum Shop stocked with creative gifts and old and new picture book favorites. The Museum is located in Amherst and situated in the heart of the Five College area of Western Massachusetts where Eric Carle has lived and worked for more than 25 years.

The Museum was incorporated in January 2001 and received its non-profit status in September 2001. Since its opening on November 22, 2002, the Museum has welcomed over 325,000 visitors- including 16,502 school children (800 school groups)-held over 70 workshops and classes for caregivers, teachers and other professionals (1,995 participants), and presented 39 exhibits in its three rotating exhibition galleries. The Museum currently has 10,400 constituents in its database, including 1,400 Annual Members.