Amherst, MA (December 1, 2020) – Step back millions of years to a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth in Inside-Outside Dinosaurs: Creating a Book with Roxie Munro at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art from December 12, 2020 through April 25, 2021. The exhibition is based on Munro’s book Inside-Outside Dinosaurs, and features eight dinosaurs from different eras and locations.
Young paleontology fans will recognize some of their favorite dinosaurs (the fierce Tyrannosaurus rex) and perhaps discover some new ones (the herbivore Parasaurolophus). Munro alternates illustrations of the dinosaur skeletons with vivid landscape paintings teeming with prehistoric life. The wordless images invite budding scientists to make observations about dinosaur behavior and habitats.
The exhibition features all of Munro’s published art from the 2009 book. It also explores the book-making process with preliminary sketches, book dummies, early manuscripts, and Munro’s correspondence with her editor.
“We are grateful to Roxie for donating all material and artwork related to the publication to the Museum’s permanent collection,” says Ellen Keiter, The Carle’s chief curator. “Her gift allows us to study the various steps an artist takes when making a book. I particularly like Roxie’s sketches because they demonstrate her thinking through the book’s layout. She experiments with scale and placement, trying both vertical and horizontal compositions. In some sketches, her dinosaurs face in a different direction than in the final publication. Roxie changed their orientation to create a ‘rhythm’ to the book and to encourage the page turn.”
The exhibition offers some natural history artifacts too. On loan from the Granby Public Library are fossilized dinosaur footprints discovered in the Pioneer Valley, and a plaster cast of a giant Allosaurus footprint. Visitors will enjoy a reading area stocked with dinosaur books and can follow dinosaur tracks throughout the Museum.
Munro says, “I am honored to have Inside-Outside Dinosaurs featured so creatively--and with such lively and fun displays--at The Carle. I donated the art and the preliminary notes, sketches, storyboards, and more, to the Museum so it could be available to aspiring authors and illustrators, professionals like librarians and educators, and children to look over and learn from.”
About the Artist: Roxie Munro is the author and illustrator of over 40 children’s books. She specializes in non-fiction topics. Munro has exhibited widely in galleries and museums, and her work is in numerous public and private collections. She has illustrated 14 covers for The New Yorker. Munro studied art at the University of Maryland and the University of Hawaii, where she earned her B.F.A. in painting. She lives in New York City with her husband, Bo Zaunders, a writer and photographer.
January 14, 2021
7:00pm
Online program, free
Open to Museum Members
Join author/illustrator Roxie Munro for a virtual gallery tour of the special exhibition Inside-Outside Dinosaurs: Creating a Book with Roxie Munro. Munro will discuss her research and steps in the book creation process, from storyboards and book dummies to rough sketches and finished art. Sign up at www.carlemuseum.org.
January 25, 2021
10:00am - 10:45am
Virtual Workshop, free
Join educators from The Beneski Museum and The Carle in an engaging workshop inspired by The Carle's exhibition Inside-Outside Dinosaurs! Participants will look inside the Beneski Museum of Natural History and see a dynamic view of several dinosaur skeletons. We will also explore an amazing diorama of these creatures as they once lived in our backyards. Watch out for the T-Rex!
This program is designed for kids ages 3-8 and their caregivers. Space is limited, register in advance at www.carlemuseum.org.
February 18, 2021
4:00pm
Online event, free
Go on a virtual visit to Roxie Munro’s studio! Roxie will talk about the research and preparation involved in creating a nonfiction book, discuss her steps in creating a book, and give us a sneak peek at what she is working on next. Time will be left at the end of the program for young authors and artists to ask Roxie questions!
This program is designed for kids ages 7-12. Space is limited register in advance at www.carlemuseum.org.
When to visit: The Museum’s winter hours are Thursday and Friday, 10am-3pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, and Sunday 12pm-4pm. Visitors are encouraged to use the new registration system, choosing a morning or afternoon visit. (Walk-ins will be welcome as space permits.) In order to comply with state guidelines and to offer a safe and comfortable visit, the Museum has a number of new protocols in place. For more information, visit here.
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. A leading advocate in its field, 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 Carle and his wife, the late Barbara Carle, co-founded the Museum in November 2002. Carle is the renowned author and illustrator of more than 70 books, including the 1969 classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Since opening, the 43,000-square foot facility has served more than 800,000 visitors, including 50,000 schoolchildren. The Carle houses more than 12,000 objects, including 8,500 permanent collection illustrations. The Carle has three art galleries, an art studio, a theater, picture book and scholarly libraries, and educational programs for families, scholars, educators, and schoolchildren. Bobbie's Meadow is an outdoor space that combines art and nature. Educational offerings include professional training for educators around the country and Master's degree programs in children's literature with Simmons University.
For media inquiries, additional press information and photo requests, please contact Sandy Soderberg, sandys@carlemuseum.org.
Image Credit: Roxie Munro, “Spinosaurus,” illustration for Inside-Outside Dinosaurs. Gift of the artist. © 2009 Roxie Munro.
