The mission of The Eric Carle Museum is to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. The Carle is the international champion for picture books. We collect & exhibit original art. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, a not-for-profit museum in Amherst, MA, is the international champion for picture book art. We collect, preserve, and exhibit original art; encourage guests of all ages to create art; and foster an ever-growing audience passionate about picture book art. The premiere full-scale museum of its kind in the United States, The Carle collects, preserves, presents, and celebrates picture book art 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.