I’m excited to share that a project I’ve been working on since last year will be opening soon. I am the guest curator of an exhibit of the art of Grace Lin at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. This career retrospective of more than 90 works celebrates Grace’s creativity with original art, sketches, and objects from her studio. From her debut picture book The Ugly Vegetables to more than 30 acclaimed titles — including A Big Mooncake for Little Star, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, and Chinese Menu — Grace Lin has become one of the most important voices in children’s literature today. (Learn more about her career in this essay I wrote.)

Through painted illustrations that incorporate bright colors and playful patterns, Grace tells stories that are inspired by family, food, and folklore. The exhibit takes its title from a Chinese aphorism about the four happinesses in life. Meeting a friend in an unexpected place is one of them.

The exhibit will be up for six months and will feature bilingual English and Traditional Chinese text and a cozy reading nook inspired by Grace’s own attic art studio.

The Art of Grace Lin: Meeting a Friend in an Unexpected Place
林珮思的藝術世界：他鄉遇故知
June 14 – December 31, 2025
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA 01002

Members’ Preview
Friday, June 13, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Enjoy refreshments and a visit to the exhibition before a 6:30 p.m. conversation between me and Grace.

Book Friends Forever Podcast — Live!
Saturday, June 14, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Attend a live recording of a podcast by Grace and her childhood friend Alvina Ling, a children’s book editor. I’m the guest for this episode.
Update: Listen to the episode or watch a video here.

Image by Grace Lin. Illustration for Once Upon a Book by Grace Lin and Kate Messner (Little, Brown Books). Collection of the artist. © 2022 Grace Lin.