Ed Young’s Bright Worlds: Gesture and Feeling in 60 Years of Picture Books for Children

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA): For over 60 years, Ed Young (1931–2023) invigorated the world of children’s books through intimate storytelling, inventive artistry, and potent emotionality. This first U.S. retrospective features original artwork from 15 of his most significant projects—focusing on works drawn from his personal story and Chinese folktales—alongside a selection of his sketchbooks, family photos, and personal effects.

Young achieved distinction as a beloved storyteller and illustrator who challenged younger audiences with pictorial and moral complexity. He was a towering figure in children’s literature, reaching wide audiences while earning the field’s top honors. His retelling of the Chinese “Little Red Riding Hood,” Lon Po Po, introduced generations of children to Chinese folklore and won the Caldecott Medal; he also received two Caldecott Honors for earlier works. Across his career, he garnered numerous accolades, including multiple selections for The New York Times’ “10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books” list.

The exhibition traces Young’s family life in Shanghai, where he was the fourth youngest of five children. As a teenager, he and his brother were sent to live in Hong Kong to flee the civil war in China. He immigrated to America for college, eventually earning an art degree from the ArtCenter School in Los Angeles, and then moved to New York. “I set out with $20 borrowed money in my pocket to bet my life in New York City,” he wrote. After being laid off from an advertising studio, he submitted sketches to children’s book publisher Ursula Nordstrom, who hired him to illustrate The Mean Mouse and Other Mean Stories (1962), launching a career that would span over 100 books.