Celebrate 80 Years of Children’s Golden Books at Denver Botanic Gardens

Remember those gentle images that filled the pages of such iconic children’s storybooks as The Pokey Little Puppy, illustrated by Gustav Tenggren, and Chicken Little, illustrated by Richard Scarry? From Oct. 15, 2023 to Feb. 18, 2024, Denver Botanic Gardens invites you to take a stroll through the past via the new exhibit Golden Legacy: Original Art from 80 Years of Golden Books.

Organized by the National Center for Children’s Literature in Abilene, Texas, the Denver exhibition showcases first-edition copies of Golden Books  and will feature its very own reading nook.

The exhibit’s highlight is 36 works on paper, ranging from watercolor and ink to charcoal and gouache. The collection of picture books was first published in 1942, and today has more than 700 titles boasting the work of a number of Caldecott Medal-winning illustrators.

On select Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m., visitors can learn and practice drawing techniques during Sketching in the Galleries. Bring your own pencils, colored pencils and paper. Drawing boards, stools and guidance will be provided.

The new exhibit will also be accompanied by a number of themed workshops presented both in person and online:

• Focus on Picture Books: Introduction to Picture Book Layout and Design (Jan. 17, 5–8 p.m.): Participants learn how to employ layout and composition in an introductory course looking at multiple picture book genres.
• Focus on Picture Books: Illustrating Expressive Characters (Jan. 24, 5–8 p.m.): This workshop focuses on how layout, color, style and other aspects of illustration add emotion to narrative.
• Focus on Picture Books: Sequenced Illustrations to Build Narrative (Jan. 31, 5–8 p.m.): Illustration sequencing techniques are the topic, including how they guide narrative structure. This class also includes practice on pacing, plotting, succession, building page turns and storyboarding.
• Focus on Picture Books: Illustrating Educational Books for Children (Feb. 7, 5–8 p.m.): This session will offer instruction on using illustrations to make educational stories fun for children.