This autumn, the Harley Gallery will present the first major solo exhibition by award-winning children’s book illustrator Helen Oxenbury. Helen Oxenbury: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Other Adventures will be on display from Saturday 4th October to Sunday 4th January.
From playful babies to brave adventurers, Oxenbury’s characters have charmed generations of readers. This exhibition will feature over 100 original illustrations from a career spanning five decades, including We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Farmer Duck, Alice in Wonderland, So Much, Big Mama Makes the World and Oh Dear, Look What I Got!, her 2025 reunion with Bear Hunt author Michael Rosen.
Visitors will have the opportunity to go behind the pages of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt to discover Oxenbury’s creative process – from early pencil sketches and delicate, bookmark-sized landscapes to full-page watercolours and unpublished illustrations. Highlights include a rare early version of the story, in which the now-familiar family looks completely different.
One of the world’s most popular and acclaimed children’s book illustrators, Oxenbury was a pioneer of the baby board book, and the exhibition includes a selection of her early works created especially for babies and toddlers. She was the first UK illustrator to recognise the importance of making books for babies, and her work continues to bring parents and children together today.
At the centre of the gallery will be a new sensory play space created by textile artist Ruth Waller. Inspired by a range of Helen’s illustrations, the interactive installation will be filled with fluffy clouds, swishy grass, storytelling props and more. Designed for babies, adults and children alike, the space invites visitors to crawl, play, relax and read. At the heart of the exhibition is Oxenbury’s belief that “it is impossible to be too much on the side of the child.”
Throughout the exhibition, visitors of all ages can take part in creative activities, trying their hand at writing and illustrating their own stories inspired by Oxenbury’s inclusive and imaginative approach.
A new countryside trail, inspired by We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, will lead families from the Harley Gallery through ‘swishy, swashy grass’ and ‘a big dark forest’ – ending with a bear in a ‘narrow, gloomy cave’ at Creswell Crags.
Harley Foundation Director Bryony Bond said: “We’re thrilled to be presenting the first major exhibition of Helen’s work here in Nottinghamshire.