The Orlando Museum of Art has turned its galleries into a storybook come to life! “Hello Sophie!: The Artwork of Sophie Blackall” brings original illustrations by the two-time Caldecott Medalist to OMA, and it is on view through January 3, 2027 — a wonderful reason for families to plan a visit.
Sophie Blackall, the Australian artist based in Brooklyn behind more than 50 beloved children’s books, gives young readers a chance to step inside the pages they know by heart. Her illustrations for “Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear” earned the 2016 Caldecott Medal, and her self-authored “Hello Lighthouse” won the medal again in 2019. Kids will also spot artwork from “Ivy and Bean,” “If You Come to Earth,” and “The Baby Tree.”
Organized by the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature in Abilene, Texas, the exhibition invites families to slow down the way a good bedtime story does: notice a tiny detail, imagine a character’s conversation, and wonder how an artist made a drawing feel so real. It is a perfect outing for little readers, big readers, and everyone who believes the pictures deserve as much attention as the words.
The museum is located at 2416 N. Mills Ave. in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park. Admission is $20 for adults, $8 for ages 6–17, free for children 5 and under, and a Family Bundle of $45 covers two adults and up to three children.
Photo: Orlando Museum of Art
