MONTEREY, CA.- The Monterey Museum of Art presents the enchanting exhibition Over Rainbows and Down Rabbit Holes: The Art of Children’s Books which will be on view Saturday, July 11 through Sunday, September 13, 2009 at MMA La Mirada, 720 Via Mirada, Monterey. Over Rainbows and Down Rabbit Holes: The Art of Children’s Books is a delightful presentation featuring approximately seventy original illustrations from well-known children’s books. The exhibition is drawn from the outstanding collection of picture book art assembled by Zora and Les Charles and was organized by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in collaboration with The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts.

Classics in this exhibition include The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne and illustrated by Ernest Shepard and The Travels of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff. Works by Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac and Kay Nielsen represent the earlier golden age of illustration, while the majority of examples focus on the flowering of the genre by artists and authors working in the post-World War II period. Trina Schart Hyman (Little Red Riding Hood), Chris Van Allsburg (Jumanji) and husband and wife team Leo and Diane Dillon (Earth Mother) are among the contemporary illustrators represented. These enchanting original works will inspire the imagination and celebrate the creativity of picture books for readers of all ages. The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue co-published by Santa Barbara Museum of Art and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art which will be available in the Museum Store.

There will be an Exhibition Preview on Friday, July 10 from 6-8 pm with a $10 general admission or free to MMA Members and children under twelve. On Saturday, July 11 there will be a Community Day with a storybook making activity from 12 noon-3 pm and free admission from 11 am-5 pm for Monterey County residents and visitors. The Dart Gallery will feature a storybook area where each book from the exhibition will be available for families and children to read together. Story Time will take place every Saturday at 2 pm during the exhibition. MMA celebrates National Grandparents Day on Sunday, September 13 with free admission for grandparents accompanied by their grandchildren. Regular admission to the exhibition is: $5.00 General, $2.50 Students and Military with I.D, Free to MMA Members, children under 12, NARM and AAM Members. Especially for this exhibition, admission is also free to individuals with a library card from any library in Monterey, Santa Cruz or San Benito County. For more information call 831.372.5477 or visit www.montereyart.org.

The breadth of works featured in the exhibition stems from Santa Barbara resident and collector, Zora Charles’s favorite stories. “I’ve always loved to read,” writes Charles in an excerpt from her essay. “Did (the illustrations) create a world for the story to live in? That’s where the magic begins. Any competent artist can paint a picture to demonstrate what the words say. But the great illustrators use the words as a key to unlock a magical, visual universe.” The exhibition is not only a scholarly presentation of some of the finest examples of original illustrative art, but also a source of inspiration and a connection between visual and verbal literacy.