The News Tribune from Tacoma, Washington • E1

SOUNDLIFE A Tacoma Art Museum exhibit of work by book illustrator Eric Carle promotes literacy through art. BY ROSEMARY PONNEKANTI The News Tribune To parents, attention-holders. To artists, an impressive use of shape, texture, line and color. To kids, journeys into amazing worlds. But to educators and, these days, museum staff, not just artworks, but the foundations of literacy and intelligence.

talking about the painted-tissue collages of Eric Carle, whose animal-story picture books have been entrancing children for nearly 40 years. Yet works like Very Hungry and Bear, Polar just fun bedtime favorites. The Tacoma Art Museum, which is hosting Art of Eric a touring show of original illustrations, sees all art as a path to literacy and has the weight of a recent Guggenheim study to back up that belief. a big claim, with huge potential. Born in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1929, Eric Carle moved with his family to their native Germany at 6 years old.

The difference was enormous: from a creative childhood filled with inspiring teachers, paint and father- son nature walks to a pre-World War II Germany. Carle went on to study graphic design and returned to America in 1952. In 1967, well-known writer Bill Martin Jr. asked Carle to illustrate one of his books, Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You A contract for another book followed, 2, 3 to the and then Carle had an inspiration. Punching holes in a stack of paper, he was reminded of a hungry bookworm, and, in 1969, Very Hungry became the famous catalyst for a career of 70 books selling over 71 million copies.

It also changed the way books were conceived: It was not the first book-as-toy, but it set the standard for all the lights, bells and whistles so used to today. In the long central gallery at the Tacoma Art Museum, the red-and-green takes pride of place by the door. Over 50 original paper works are hung in this cavernous space. The size of each work is also huge: Coming from TACOMA HOSTS ONGOING ACTIVITIES RELATED TO ARTIST, AUTHOR ERIC CARLE When a famous comes to town, everyone gets in on the act. Here are some of the Eric Carle-related events going on in Tacoma.

OCTOBER THROUGH MAY 11 Museum of Tacoma 936 Broadway, Tacoma Mondays, 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.: Story time with Eric Carle books and guided art activity; all ages; free with admission. Tuesdays, 2-4 p.m.: Artist in residence giving hands-on art lessons in Studio; all ages; free with admission. Information: 253-627-6031 or www. childrensmuseumoftacoma.org.

TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY Tacoma Public Libraries Theater productions by School of the Arts students brings to life various Carle works using masks, improvisation and audience participation; all ages; free, includes free passes to Tacoma Art Museum exhibit. Today 7 p.m. at Swasey Library, 7001 Sixth Ave. Saturday, 1 p.m. at Fern Hill Library, 765 S.

84th St. Saturday, 3 p.m. at South Tacoma Library, 3411 S. 56th St. Information: www.tacomapubliclibrary.org.

SUNDAY Rialto Theater 905 Broadway, Tacoma 2 p.m.: Eric Carle in conversation with Nick Clark, director of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Mass. Book-signing and artist reception at Tacoma Art Museum follows; all ages; TAM members $10; nonmembers, $20; children younger than 12 includes museum admission. Reservations: 253-272-4258, Ext. 3030 or email SATURDAY-SUNDAY Point Defiance Zoo Aquarium Point Defiance Park, Tacoma Zoo Boo 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: The Museum of Tacoma will offer Eric Carle Story Time in the Zoo Education Center.

9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: The museum will also offer an art-making activity from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; all ages. Information: www.pdza.org. OCT.

27-28 Northwest Trek 11610 Trek Drive Eatonville Hoot Howl 6-10 p.m.: Tacoma Art Museum will join the staff at Trek for crafts based on Eric book Very Busy Children will be able to create their own spooky spiders and webs, using the collage technique. Readings of Eric Carle books are also planned; all registration due by Friday. Registration: 360-832-7166. NOV. 4 Tacoma Art Museum 1701 Pacific Tacoma 10:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.: Arts and literacy workshop using art of Eric Carle, Aminah Robinson and others, creating lesson plans and incorporating art into creative writing; open to first-grade through middle school educators; $30.

Registration: 253-272-4258, Ext. 3030 or email NOV. 7, DECEMBER 12 Museum 936 Broadway, Tacoma a.m.: Learn about animals with Tahoma Audubon educator Gabriel Newton, using readings, discussions and art-making; ages 3-5; TAM and Audubon members $15, nonmembers $25. Single Session: members $5, nonmembers $8. Registration: 253-272-4258, Ext.

3030 or email READ ME A STORY Becky Fontaine is the new executive director of the Pierce County Reading Foundation, dedicated to inspiring adults to read aloud to children from irth. The idea is to get kids prepared for reading even before they start school. The foundation slogan: to a child 20 minutes every To learn more, send e-mail to com. SAVE TIME The October issue of Health has tips for busy working moms: Buy groceries online, and go shopping for household goods once a month. Pay your bills online.

Allot two hours of free time on Saturdays and alternate the spot with your spouse. That way you both know have some alone time. Leave work behind. Turn off your BlackBerrys. Plan to be home at a certain time every night so the family can be together.

COMING WEDNESDAY Ill-fated French queen Marie Antoinette never uttered the famous phrase them eat What really triggered her sweet tooth? Meringue. JANET JENSEN News Tribune While waiting for story time to begin, Eli Robinson, 4, looks through one of the Eric Carle animal-story picture books on display at the Tacoma Art Art Resource Center. LITERATURE A VERY BRAVE WITCH By Alison McGhee Illustrated by Harry Bliss Simon Schuster, 32 pages, $12.95, ages 4-8 LOS GATOS BLACK ON HALLOWEEN By Marisa Montes Illustrated by Yuyi Morales Henry Holt, 32 pages, $16.95, ages 4-8 BEHIND THE MASK By Yangsook Choi Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 40 pages, $16, ages 6-10 THE DRESS-UP BOOK: 50 INCREDIBLE, EASY- TO-MAKE COSTUME PROJECTS By Jane Bull DK Publishing, 48 pages, $12.99, Ages 4-8 PUMPKIN TOWN! By Katie McKy Illustrated by Pablo Bernasconi Houghton Mifflin, 32 pages, $16, ages 4-8 MOTOKO INOUE Popular author and illustrator Eric Carle will leave his studio to participate in events in Tacoma. Please see CARLE, page E4 Halloween stories are treats for children Books on witches, costumes and spooky stuff help kids celebrate one of their favorite holidays. BY REBECCA YOUNG The News Tribune Halloween might not be a politically correct holiday these days, but children care a whit.

As soon as calendar pages flip to October and leaves turn red and yellow, kids start planning costumes and dreaming about bags full of treats. Younger children might have fear mixed into their anticipation. a big deal all the way around. Book publishers are well aware of passion for the holiday. Each year a pile of new Halloween tales shows up on bookstore shelves, not quite as high a stack as Christmas books but gaining.

A few fun and useful books stand out this year. One of the best, Very Brave by Ali- son McGhee, is an endearing, not-scary and humorous picture book that weaves themes of multiculturalism, friendship and fear into its simple plot. On the opening page, a nonchalant cat walks past a small dinosaur who poof turns into a young witch. She lives in a scary-looking house on the edge of town with a group of adult witches. Please see BOOKS, page E3.