The event, before the book's release, launches a related exhibit at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
Iconic children’s book author and illustrator Eric Carle will do a book signing, featuring his not-yet-released book, “Friends,” for the launch of an exhibit featuring the book at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst. Carle fans will be able to purchase the book in The Carle Bookshop on Sept. 21, the day of the signing only, before its official November release date.
Back cover for Eric Carle's new picture book FRIENDS forthcoming from Philomel Books in November 2013, is a celebration of friendship and childhood expressed in colorful tissue paper collage illustrations and the poetic story of an imaginary journey of the child at play. The signing is free with regular museum admission.
The event kicks off the museum's s exhibition, “The Art of Eric Carle: Friends,” which runs through March 24, 2014.
Eric Carle “Friends,” which is illustrated with Carle’s signature tissue-paper collages, is the story of a boy’s attempt to reunite with his best friend, who has moved away. The book encompasses the themes of childhood friendship, love and perseverance.
Carle said he thinks children will relate to the story.
“I have always believed that friendship is very important to children,” he said. “I know it was for me as a child, and I can still remember my strong attachments and feelings for my friends when I was a boy.”
In fact, Carle was inspired to write the book after coming across an old photograph of him as a young child, and a little girl, in an embrace. Carle lost contact with the girl, but what it represents has not been lost on him.
“It triggered one of his most important and valued aspects of his life, and that is friendship,” said H. Nichols B. Clark, curator at The Carle Museum. “When people ask him which is his favorite book, Eric always says, ‘Do You Want to be My Friend?’, which he did in 1971.”
Carle said the book was inspired by his own friendships, including one when he was 6, and moved to Germany with his parents, and another when he was a young man and arrived back in the United States.
The initial version of “Friends” was about marriage rather than friendship, but it was reworked to keep the focus on a child-like scenario.
Clark said the artwork in “Friends” is quintessential Eric Carle style.
“He has really let the art dominate the page, so it’s almost as though he is creating little paintings that then have some text below them,” Clark said. “It’s as though he’s bringing aspects of his independent art into greater prominence.”
Carle, who paints his own tissue papers for his collage illustrations, said this book is a little different.
“I think what is different about this book is the more abstract quality of some of the pictures,” he said. “I have spent more time in recent years working on non-illustration, abstract art, ‘Art-Art’ I call it. So the book comes out of that time.”
Carle said he hopes readers experience comfort and enjoyment, and possibly some learning, when they read his books.
“Mostly, I hope each reader will enjoy this book in their own way, for the pictures, for the way it makes them feel about their own friendships, for the story,” he said.
The exhibit featuring “Friends” will include all of the book’s images, plus some of the mock-ups.
“Once again, you’ll see the process,” Clark said.
“We’ve also dedicated one short wall to material in the first iteration of the book, ‘Got Married,’ so the visitor can have a chance to see what was rejected, if you will. There’s the idea that he has the fortitude to have created something and say, ‘Nah, it’s not right.’”
The display will also include brief notes from Carle’s editor, containing feedback on his work.
Will this be his last book?
“All I can say is that after finishing a book, I feel a sense of completion and entertain the idea that it may be my last book – that I have nothing left,” Carle, now 84 years old, said. “But then a new book will make itself known. Stories have a way of coming together when I least expect.”
Carle is retired from the business end of his work, and enjoys spending time with his wife, Bobbie, and friends and family.
“But I don’t feel I can truly say I will ever retire from creating books,” he said.
The book signing takes place at 10 a.m. (9 a.m. for The Carle Museum members). Guests may have Carle sign up to three books per person, including one book from home per group or family.
The exhibit will be open during regular museum hours, which are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults, $6 for children under 18 and $22.50 for a family of four. The museum is located at 125 West Bay Road in Amherst. For more information, visit www.carlemuseum.org.