John Tenniel, [Illustration from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, (London: Macmillan, 1866)]. Warren Weaver Book Collection of Lewis Carroll, PR 4611 A7 1866 c.1. Harry Ransom Center.
Napoleon Sarony (American, 1812–1897), [Elsie Leslie, (The Prince and Pauper)], 1890. Albumen print. Albert Davis / Theater Biography Collection Box 299. Harry Ransom Center.
Ernest H. Shepard (British, 1879–1976) [“Eeyore has three sticks on the ground”], ca. 1928. Ink and graphite on board. Ernest H. Shepard Art Collection, 93.7.1.1. Harry Ransom Center. © The Estate of E.H. Shepard 1928.
Arthur Rackham (English, 1867–1939), [Annotated design for Tales of Mystery and Imagination title page], 1935. Ink and pencil on paper. William H. Koester Collection of Arthur Rackham, 66.39.27.3.1. Harry Ransom Center.
John Tenniel, [Illustration from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, (London: Macmillan, 1866)]. Warren Weaver Book Collection of Lewis Carroll, PR 4611 A7 1866 c.1. Harry Ransom Center.
John Tenniel, [Illustration from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, (London: Macmillan, 1866)]. Warren Weaver Book Collection of Lewis Carroll, PR 4611 A7 1866 c.1. Harry Ransom Center.

Words and Wonder

Rediscovering Children’s Literature

February 25, 2025 – August 17, 2025

Drawing from the Harry Ransom Center’s manuscript, art, photography, film, and performing arts holdings, this unique exhibition reexamines the experiences of children as writers and readers and presents the innovative works of early twentieth-century authors and illustrators who imagined fantasy worlds for young readers. Explore the playful creativity and experimentation of young writers during the early modern period alongside examples of juvenilia from several contemporary authors, including Jayne Anne Phillips, Gabriel García Márquez, and Kazuo Ishiguro.

Visitors will also view early twentieth-century magic lantern slides from Aesop’s Fables and Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, celluloid paintings from Walt Disney’s 1951 animated film adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, as well as illustrations from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince (1943). The exhibition also highlights the work of book illustrator Arthur Rackham, who reimagined Edgar Allan Poe's collection of suspenseful short stories, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, for a younger audience.

This exhibition is generously supported by David and Ellen Berman

H-E-B

National Endowment for the Humanities

The Ransom Center appreciates our promotional partners: The Austin Chronicle and KUT 90.5 & KUTX 98.9

Any views, findings, recommendations or conclusions expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.