I was hopping around the galleries the other day, looking at all the art and having a grand old time, when I noticed something unexpected. Books! Lots and lots of books. I saw students reading quietly in the Library, families curling up with stories in the Family Pop-up Space, teachers reading books to groups of children in the galleries, and friends choosing books to bring home from the Museum Shop! Now, I love books just as much as the next jackalope, but I was a little bit confused.

What do art and reading have to do with one another?

After all, this is an art museum, right? Why was everyone sitting around reading when they should have been looking at the art?

Turns out, I just needed to calm my whiskers a bit and think. People and jackalopes of all ages visit the Carter so that they can look, enjoy, and learn. Listening to stories and learning to read artworks are fantastic ways for all us young bunnies to build our language and communication skills while bouncing around the Carter. The stories we read in books and artworks help us learn about the world around us, from planes and trains to birds and flowers, and even important topics like friendship, safety, and emotions.

Do you know what? Even though I can’t read by myself yet (I’m only three years old, after all), I’ve been learning to read using the artworks I see every day. I practice counting and naming all the objects and colors I can see, and I tell myself a story about what’s happening. I like sharing my ideas with my grown-ups and asking them questions about new pictures or words I find. Sometimes, I pretend I’m part of the action or sing songs about what I see. It’s fun to read paintings and sculptures like a favorite bedtime story!

The Carter is full of arty books of all kinds, from big thick biographies to colorful board books, so that every learner can find a story that’s just right for them. When I'm looking for a new storytime favorite, I visit the Carter Playdate Book Club section of the Museum Shop! There, I can find all the fun, funny, thoughtful books we read each month during Carter Playdate.

I think it’s time for me to snuggle up with a book, a blankie, and perhaps a mid-afternoon slice of carrot cake. See you next time!

Looking for some family friendly reads?

• Build a museum-loving bookshelf for your infant with the Baby Book Guide.
• Curl up with a good book in the Family Pop-up Space.
• Visit the Carter Playdate Book Club section in the Museum Shop
• COMING SOON: check out the family section in the Library!