It’s ridiculous. Every time my wife and I went to Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, and came in through the main entrance, we passed by the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
Yet, my wife and I never actually went into the place until Saturday, April 11, after we helped the Daughter take down her art show. Of course, I knew who the illustrator was. I’ve read aloud Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1967), written by Bill Martin, and, of course, The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969).
I didn’t know anything about his personal bio, the early part of which was chilling. “Eric was born on June 25, 1929, in Syracuse, NY, the son of Johanna (née Oelschlaeger) and Erich W. Carle, a civil servant.” As the panel below notes, his mother, homesick for Germany, led the family back to Stuttgart. Eric graduated from the local art school, the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart.
Unfortunately, “his father was drafted into the German Army at the beginning of World War II (1939) and was taken prisoner by the Soviet forces when Germany capitulated in May 1945. He returned home in late 1947, weighing 85 pounds (39 kg; 6.1 st). Carle told The Guardian years later that his father was a broken man when he returned after his military service, recalling that Erich was a ‘sick man. Psychologically, physically devastated.'”
The first thing we did was go to the theater and see a segment of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – this piece – where Eric shows Fred how to do art. It’s nicer on the bigger screen.
Since 2002
The website notes from Eric Carle: “In 2002, [the museum] opened in Amherst, MA. My wife, Bobbie, loved art and children – she worked in special education. She was a tremendous guiding force as we embarked on this project, created a Board of Directors, and hired staff in the early years of the Museum’s life.
“It has been said that picture books are an introduction to literature for the very young reader. Bobbie and I wanted to build a museum that would be for the first-time museum visitor: an introduction to the experience of looking at art.” I totally relate to this. We introduced our daughter to museums. For a while, in her teens, she seemed to eschew them, but now embraces the facilities.
“And we wanted to show the highest examples of that art to demonstrate the beauty, the seriousness, and the fun of it. We wanted to create a museum that exhibits the work of national and international picture book artists.” In the three gallery rooms, there is a variety of whimsical art, covering more than a century, some familiar – a library poster about reading and the dogs of William Wegman, for example.
“In 2015, sadly, Bobbie passed away. But our shared dream of a place where picture book art is enjoyed and honored continues. Bobbie’s Meadow, an outdoor space at the Museum, is a beautiful wildflower meadow and outdoor space created in memory of my dearest Bobbie.” It reminded my wife and me of an outdoor space at the Clark Art Museum.
Cooking
I think kids would like the museum a lot. Carle has created over 40 books. I was more interested in discovering more about Carle himself. If you go before September 26, 2026, check out the exhibit Cooking With Eric Carle in the West Gallery. His “career in book publishing began with commissions for Red Flannel Hash and Shoo-Fly Pie (published in 1965), a compilation of folk recipes from across the United States.”
The Eric Carle Museum, and for that matter, the Yiddish Book Center, will survive the closing of Hampshire College, even though both reside on the campus.
The fact that Hampshire College is closing is not a shock. But it is a disappointment.