Dorothy Kunhardt’s Pat The Bunny

The exhibition will include the handmade prototype of Pat the Bunny, fashioned by Mrs. Kunhardt in 1939, on view for the first time as well as other original art and process materials; personal photographs and correspondence during the time period; and early reviews and advertisements for Pat the Bunny, on loan from the archives of the Meserve-Kunhardt Foundation. The exhibition will run through December 7, 2008.

Pat the Bunny has sold over 7 million copies since it was first published in 1940 and is the 6th all-time best-selling children’s book in America. Dorothy Kunhardt was already a widely successful children’s book writer and illustrator, and mother of four, when she cut and pasted together her idea for an interactive book for babies and young children, inspired by her 3-year-old daughter. “It’s like seeing the Rosetta Stone,” Museum Director Nick Clark states upon seeing the modest, original version of the book, “we are honored to have the opportunity and privilege to exhibit a book so transformative in opening a child’s eyes to reading through touch.” The exhibition also includes unpublished ink and watercolor illustrations Kunhardt considered for her 18-page classic.

One is a whimsical picture of Judy galloping as she plays horse, with a colorful, braided cotton bridle for the “reader” to hold. The exhibit also features the first, second, and third editions of Pat the Bunny, which have early illustrations that were later replaced. The original dummy copy of The Telephone Book, the equally charming, interactive sequel to Pat the Bunny, will also be on view.

Dorothy Kunhardt transformed words and pictures into familiar activities, like playing peek-a-boo, touching “Daddy’s scratchy beard,” and patting the soft fur of a toy bunny. Kunhardt gave the pleasure of books to the very youngest of pre-readers, and in the process, created the groundbreaking genre of “Touch and Feel” books. Today, Pat the Bunny is promoted by the US Department of Education on “How to Help Your Child Become a Reader” and has served as a selection for the “I am Your Child” program, a National Public Awareness campaign devoted to making childhood development a top priority in the United States. -- www.picturebookart.org