Children's Book Authors and Illustrators

This tour is aimed at families with small children who want to explore some highlights of the town and at the same time learn about some of the local authors and illustrators who write and draw children's books. Along the tour you will get to visit two museums, a unique book center, a town park, and our main library. We've also built in some fun "I Spy" activities at each stop. Families can break up the tour and visit each site over the course of a couple of weeks, or make a day of it and visit each of the sites all at once. It is also easily accessed by bike if you would prefer a day out in the fresh air! Pack a picnic and use the stop at Groff Park for a fun break between the other sites.

Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

Welcome to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. This museum, though named after the author of books such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar, features art from many children’s books. Inside you can explore the exhibitions and read books by local…

Yiddish Book Center

Welcome to the Yiddish Book Center. The center is dedicated to preserving and making accessible texts written in Yiddish, a language that originated in Jewish communities from Eastern Europe, but is now spoken all over the world! Inside, they have a…

Groff Park

Welcome to Groff Park! It’s a great place to have a picnic, play a game, or read a book under a tree. No matter what season it is, there are tons of fun things to do here! In the summer, you can cool down and play in the splash pad, look at the…

Beneski Museum of Natural History

Welcome to the Beneski Museum of Natural History. The Beneski Museum of Natural History (BMNH) is located in the Beneski Earth Sciences Building on the Amherst College campus. This building holds collections that can help us learn about the world…

Jones Library

Welcome to the Jones Library, the biggest public library in Amherst! The library is over 100 years old! Here you can find books from all the authors on this tour in the children’s section. There is a special area called “The Kids Room” that is…

One More Activity!

We’ve reached the end of the Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators Tour of Amherst, but not the end of our adventures together. There is one last thing we’d like you to try! While all of these children’s book authors are grownups, that doesn’t…