About the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art was opened in 2002 by Eric Carle and his wife Barbara. He was inspired by the many picture book museums he had toured in Japan and thought it was a great idea for him to make one. The museum is in Amherst, Massachusetts, not far from the Hampshire College. The 40,000 square foot building is filled with more than 12,000 picture book illustrations from Carle and other artists. The museum also includes three art galleries, a theatre, an art studio, and picture book and scholarly libraries. The museum also provides educational programs for families, scholars, and professional training opportunities for educators. The website also publishes a "Best of Book" list that parents and educators can use as a good resource when finding books for children. The goal of the museum is to "inspire love of art and reading through picture books". If you are anywhere near Amherst, MA, it's worth stopping in and exploring, 'it's the only full scale museum of it's kind in the US'.