Jane Yolen has been named the Honorary Ambassador of the Winterthur Museum & Country Estate’s K is for Kids exhibition. The exhibition will be “a family-friendly introduction to some of the treasures in the museum’s antiques collection” exploring early methods of reading education. It will feature 45 objects from the museum’s collection, “selected to illustrate the letters of the alphabet. A rhyming description accompanies most items, providing details and inviting families to read aloud.” The exhibit will also provide “historical background about each object, giving children and their parents a better understanding of how people lived in the past.”
The exhibit runs from 15 September 2007 to 13 July 2008. Yolen will be at the museum for “a weekend series of special events” 18-20 April 2008. “Jane Yolen is not only one of America’s most beloved children’s book authors, but is also highly regarded for her expertise and interest in children’s literature and in literacy,” said Leslie Greene Bowman, director of Winterthur. Yolen’s writing extends far beyond books for children; she is the author of more than 280 books, served as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for more than 25 years. A wide array of her books will be featured in a special “Book Nook” at Winterthur, “providing visitors with the opportunity to enjoy rhymes and stories in continuation of the K is for Kids theme. Throughout the run of the exhibition, Winterthur will also highlight a monthly book recommendation from Yolen’s works.”
Other program highlights during the exhibition include:
* “A Child’s Garden of Verses Family Day” on 16 September, during which Winterthur’s Enchanted Woods will be transformed into a Child’s Garden of Verses. This will be in conjunction with Winterthur’s GardenFair weekend.
* “K is for Kids Family Day” on 29 September, which will be a Saturday focused on reading and writing topics, with Mother Goose and storytelling sessions, as well as alphabet crafts.
* “Family Literacy Day” on 12 October, which will feature story sessions, reading and writing activities, and children’s crafts and games. This day coincides with a Delaware public school holiday.
* “Jane Yolen Weekend” 18-20 April 2008. Yolen will talk about and read from her work, as well as participate in workshops, a book signing, and other events throughout the weekend.
In addition, Winterthur is sponsoring a writing contest to “encourage young authors to write their own alphabet books” in support of the exhibition’s theme.
Full details on the contest and the whole exhibition are available at www.winterthur.org/kids.
The Winterthur Museum & Country Estate is “known worldwide for its preeminent collection of American antiques, naturalistic garden, and research library for the study of American art and material culture.” It is located on Route 52, six miles northwest of Wilmington, Delaware, and five miles south of US Route 1. Winterthur is open 10AM-5PM Tuesday-Sunday. For more information on the museum, see www.winterthur.org.