Journey to Joy: Rise, Relevance, Representation in Children’s Picture Books

The Kerlan Collection contains over 100 years of children’s picture book history. Join us on a journey that takes you from the iconic W.E.B. Du Bois’ Brownies’ Book to the Caldecott Award-winning Snowy Day to the work of Ezra Jack Keats Award recipients. For the first time, the Kerlan will exhibit contemporary Minnesota Native American illustrators Jonathan Thunder, Annette Lee, and Marlena Myles.

The exhibit spans galleries on four floors, illuminating the diversity of children’s picture books. It was developed in curatorial consultation with award-winning children’s book author Andrea Davis Pinkney and Lisa Von Drasek, Miranker Family Curatorial Chair.

The illustrations from Far from the Forest have now been added to the prestigious Kerlan Collections, a renowned archive celebrating excellence in children’s literature at the University of Minnesota. Sketches and final artworks by Amé Myles are prominently featured in the Journey to Joy: Rise, Relevance, Representation in Children’s Picture Books exhibition, showcasing the vibrant storytelling and cultural richness that defines the collection.

This exhibition also highlights the digital works of Marlena Myles, whose contributions continue to inspire through their deep connections to Dakota heritage and innovative use of contemporary art forms. Together, these pieces celebrate the power of visual storytelling in shaping Indigenous representation for future generations.