Guest blogger Chris Loker joins us today to talk about an exhibition she has curated at the Grolier Club in New York City. “One Hundred Books Famous in Children’s Literature” celebrates 100 iconic children’s books, from The Velveteen Rabbit to Charlotte’s Web to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Chris is a children’s book author and the owner of an antiquarian children’s bookshop in San Francisco. She has also recently penned an essay for our Open a World of Possible campaign, which reflects upon the importance of picture books and some of the titles that have influenced her life the most. "What I’ve learned from my love of reading, and from reading The Cat in the Hat in particular, is that there is always a shimmer of pure joy in a fine picture book,” Chris writes. Thanks for joining us!
Book lovers of any age cannot walk past a display of books without being intrigued. We become fascinated by the stacks of books, even if they are titles we’ve never seen before. And we become giddy with joy at seeing books we know well and have loved for many years.
This is just what happened last week when a group of parents visited the Grolier Club in midtown Manhattan with their children. The purpose of their visit was to find a warm spot on a cold winter afternoon that would be fun for children and adults alike. And the Grolier exhibition, “One Hundred Books Famous in Children’s Literature,” hit the bullseye!
There, for the children and parents to savor, were time-honored favorites like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island, Peter Rabbit, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Winnie-the-Pooh, Charlotte’s Web, The Cat in the Hat, Where the Wild Things Are, and Harry Potter. Many of these literature classics were accompanied by fun and novel artifacts such as antique toys, vintage dolls and games, and original book art. In addition, the Children’s Reading Center, offering over 30 books from the exhibition for children of all ages to read, was also a big hit.
If you're in New York City this weekend and are looking for something to do (kid-friendly or just on your own!), be sure to stop by the Grolier Club (47 East 60th Street) to view the 100 landmark books published for children between 1600 and 2000. The exhibition is open Monday through Saturday (10 am to 5 pm) until February 7th. Admission is free, and curator’s tours are available (contact Jennifer Sheehan at jsheehan@grolierclub.org).
