Simmons College Fall Graduate Courses at The Carle
Simmons College and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art are pleased to announce the 2015 fall graduate course offerings. Courses are held at the Museum’s Amherst, Massachusetts location, a site which offers students the opportunity to see original picture book art and meet artists, authors, and scholars in children’s literature. For registration information, please contact cathryn.mercier@simmons.edu.
CHL 430: Writing for Children I (4 graduate credits)
Wednesdays, 5 – 7:50 pm, September 2 – December 9, 2015
This course investigates the process of writing fiction for children through written assignments and class discussion of both assignments and of published books. The course is designed to examine different narrative forms and techniques and the elements and development of a story. Course includes individual conferences and an opportunity to work on individual projects if desired. Requires a willingness to participate and experiment, however previous creative writing experience is not necessary. Instructor: Peter Littell
CHL 434: The Child & the Book (4 credits)
Tuesdays, 5 – 7:50 pm, September 8 – December 8, 2015
The Child and the Book explores accounts of childhood reading through a variety of perspectives: critical analysis and primary reading of fictional and artistic depictions of the child as a reader; reader response theoretical accounts of children’s responses to literature; adult memoirs of childhood reading; parental accounts of reading with children; writings about children’s reading in school and library contexts; an exploration of children’s choice book awards and reception in the United States and abroad. The majority of the primary texts used in the course are beginning reader books and early chapter books, and an exploration of the historical development of these forms will be another focus of the course. Instructor: Megan Lambert
CHL 415: A Whole Book Approach to Picture Book Art & Design (2 credits)
Thursdays, 5 – 8:15 pm, October 15 – November 19, 2015
This course provides an overview of The Whole Book Approach, a story time model developed by Megan Lambert in association with The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, which is grounded in critical engagement with the picture book as a visual art form. Students will critically engage with the design and production elements of a broad range of contemporary picture books, employing Structuralism, Reader Response, and other approaches to examining how words, pictures and design impact readers’ engagement with primary texts. The course will also include opportunities for students to observe WBA story times to see how theory informs practice as children engage with picture books in facilitated readings. Instructor: Megan Lambert
To learn more about these programs, visit the www.simmons.edu or email gsa@simmons.edu. Information sessions will be held at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art on the following dates:
Sunday, June 14, 10:30 am – 12 pm
Saturday, July 18, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Saturday, August 8, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
About the Simmons Graduate Programs in Children’s Literature
Simmons College administers the nation’s first Master of Arts in Children’s Literature as well as a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Writing for Children. More at www.simmons.edu.
About The Museum
The mission of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, a non-profit organization in Amherst, MA, is to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. The only full-scale museum of its kind in the United States, The Carle collects, preserves, presents, and celebrates picture books and picture book illustrations from around the world. In addition to underscoring the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of picture books and their art form, The Carle offers educational programs that provide a foundation for arts integration and literacy. Eric and Barbara Carle founded the Museum in November 2002. Eric Carle is the renowned author and illustrator of more than 70 books, including the 1969 classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar. For further information and directions, call 413-658-1100 or visit the Museum’s website at www.carlemuseum.org.
