Step into the illustrated worlds of Helen Oxenbury, one of the world’s most acclaimed children’s book illustrators.
Down the rabbit hole and through swishy swashy grass, this joyful exhibition will take you on an adventure through more than 100 original illustrations from Oxenbury’s fifty-year career.
Explore artwork from classic picture books including We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Farmer Duck, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. You’ll also see illustrations from Oh Dear, Look What I Got!, Oxenbury’s brand-new 2025 collaboration with Bear Hunt author Michael Rosen.
See early pencil sketches, tiny bookmark-sized landscapes, full-page watercolours and rarely seen unpublished artwork – including an early version of Bear Hunt where the familiar family of explorers looks completely different.
At the heart of the gallery, you’ll find a new sensory play space created by textile artist Ruth Waller, inspired by Oxenbury’s illustrations. Filled with soft storytelling props, fluffy clouds and swishy grass, it’s a welcoming place for babies, toddlers and grown-ups to crawl, read, relax and play together.
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Visitor information
Address
Welbeck, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, S80 3LW
01909 501700
Opening times
The Harley Gallery & Portland Collection Museum
Tues – Sat, 10am - 5pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm.
Closed on Mondays.
