Family Trees: A Celebration of Children's Literature at the Concord Museum

A love of books and reading is a lifelong treasure passed from adult to child, from generation to generation.  The 17th
annual Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature at the Concord Museum in historic Concord,Massachusetts gives Concord’s renowned literary tradition a creative
twist.  From November 21, 2012 through January 1, 2013, the Museum’s galleries are filled with 38 fanciful trees of all shapes and sizes, decorated with original ornaments inspired by acclaimed children’s storybooks and contemporary picture book favorites. This year, the Lead Sponsor for Family Trees is Barefoot Books; Media Sponsor is Massachusetts Teachers Association

The Concord Museum is pleased to welcome a distinguished mother-daughter team as this year’s Honorary Chairs for Family Trees.  Award-winning author Jane Yolen has been called "the Hans Christian Andersen of America." She has written around 300 books, 4590 poems, and 3452 short stories! Her daughter, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, has published more than a dozen books and numerous short stories and poems, mostly for children. Jane, Heidi and her two daughters, and a couple of cats live in Massachusetts on a big old farm with two houses.

The exhibition’s focus on children’s literature makes Family Trees unique among the many holiday events in Greater Boston. Each tree serves as a canvas for the artistic creations of a dedicated team of volunteer decorators.  Inspired by the storyline, the illustrations, the characters or setting of a particular book, the decorators let their imaginations take flight, much to the delight of visitors of all ages from all over New England. Selections for this year
include:Dear Mother, Dear Daughter: Poems for Young People, by Jane Yolen  and Heidi Stemple, illustrated by  Gil Ashby; When  We  Were Very Young, by A.A. Milne;  The Story Tree: Tales to Read Aloud, by Hugh Lupton, illustrated by Sophie Fatus; Let the  Whole Earth Sing Praise, written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola; A Mountain of Mittens, by Lynn Plourde, illustrated by Mitch Vane; and many other favorites. Visit www.concordmuseum.org for a full list of this year’s books.

Proceeds from Family Trees, organized by the Museum’s Guild of Volunteers, benefit the Concord Museum’s education initiatives.

Museum Hours:  Monday – Saturday 9:00 – 5:00, Sunday 12:00 – 5:00. The Museum will be closed all day on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and at 1:00 on Christmas Eve.  The Museum will be open on New Year’s Day, January 1 from 9:00 – 5:00. 

Family Trees Admission: During this benefit event, Museum admission is $15 adults, $10 seniors, $6 children (4-18); children under 4 and Members Free.  Family Trees admission includes all of the Museum galleries and the
special exhibition, The Greatest Source of Wealth: Agriculture in Concord.