Jan Brett: Stories Near and Far Exhibit

Jan Brett

I recently visited the Jan Brett:  Stories Near and Far exhibit at the Albany Institute of History and Art. Jan Brett is a phenomenal children’s book author and illustrator. There are over 44 million copies of Ms. Brett’s work in print worldwide. I have loved Ms. Brett’s work since I was a young child. I remember first hearing The Mitten read at my public library’s storytime. In the kid-lit world, Jan Brett’s book The Mitten is synonymous with winter. Come December-January, many preschool or kindergarten classrooms, libraries, and bookstores feature The Mitten in some activity or display.

Jan Brett Exhibit

The exhibit Jan Brett: Stories Near and Far is currently on loan from the Norman Rockwell Museum. This fascinating exhibit showcases Ms. Brett’s illustrations from her extensive career. The show features original, vibrant watercolor illustrations from ten of Brett’s titles and souvenirs from her travels featured in her work.

World Traveler

Throughout the displayed pieces, animals and world cultures play a prominent role. Each book is rich with cultural elements of the country in which the book is set. From the gorgeous chickens dressed in fancy 18th-century Russian formal wear in Cinders, a Chicken Cinderella to the Inuit-styled sleds in The Three Snow Bears it is fascinating to see how Brett weaves her research into her illustrations. For each book, Ms. Brett extensively studied the setting’s art, architecture, and traditions, often traveling to the destination.

Reading Jan Brett’s books is a treat. When reading a Jan Brett book, you can travel the world from your couch! The books feature at least fourteen countries and many American states.

Animal Lover

Jan Brett is a big-time animal lover, and animals are prominent throughout her work. After reading Beatrix Potter’s Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle as a young girl, Brett fell in love with hedgehogs. Hedgehogs frequently appear throughout her work. At the exhibition, there was a hedgehog scavenger hunt for kids! In the exhibit, I lost track; there were so many!! The animals that Brett paints are truly exquisite. I love the details in the color and the tiny lines painted on the animals that give texture to the fur and feathers.

My Favorites

I have read many of Jan Brett’s titles, but not all. My favorite titles by Jan Brett include Mossy, The Mermaid, and The Mitten. The book Mossy is gorgeous!!! It is a tale of an eastern box turtle with a magnificent moss garden growing on her shell. A naturalist takes notice of her unique beauty and displaces Mossy from her home at Lilypad Pond. The Mermaid is also an exceptionally beautiful book, and tells an under-the-sea Goldilocks that takes place off the Japanese coast.

If you get the chance to pick up a Jan Brett book, I highly recommend it. There is much to discover when you admire the illustrations. Look out for the predictive images on the perimeter of the pages, original stories, and fresh retelling of classic tales. This exhibit was a real treat!

I would love to hear your thoughts about the show or these titles! Please post on Instagram and tag me @playgroundlibrarian or on the Playground Librarian page on Facebook!

XO, Sheryl

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