Children’s Lit Field Trip

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Faculty and students from K-State English at The Rabbit hOle (8 Nov 2024)

Last Friday November 8, faculty and graduate students took a field trip to explore children’s literature in action.

While the catalyst for the excursion was the launch of Phil Nel’s next book, How to Draw the World: Harold and the Purple Crayon and the Making of a Children’s Classic (Oxford UP, 2024), by way of an invited talk at The Rabbit hOle, the field trip also included a visit to the studio of author and artist Stephen T. Johnson in Lawrence.

Below are photos of the day and reflections from some of the graduate students who participated.

— Karin Westman, Department Head

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Author and artist Stephen Johnson shows his interactive book My Big Silver Rocket Ship

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Students view Stephen Johnson’s Abstract Alphabet

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Stephen Johnson shows his book Music Is…

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Group photo with Stephen Johnson at his studio in Lawrence

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On the way to The Rabbit hOle

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Faculty and students from K-State English at The Rabbit hOle

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The books featured in the interactive exhibits at The Rabbit hOle

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Phil Nel with the sign advertising his talk

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Display of books by Phil Nel and books by Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss

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The reception before Phil Nel’s talk

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Phil Nel’s presentation

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Phil Nel with graduate students Hoora, Nava, and Faezeh

Attending the Rabbit Hole event was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Being able to join Dr. Westman and Dr. Nel on this trip made the experience even more enjoyable, as I had the privilege of their wonderful company. As someone who is uncertain about whether to stay on the Cultural Studies Track or pursue Children’s Literature, I found this trip to be a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the field of children’s literature. Visiting Stephen Johnson’s studio was one of the most magical experiences I’ve ever had. I was in awe of his creativity and the incredible art he creates. The Rabbit hOle Museum itself was also impressive, with a sign at the entrance reading “The Story World” and then “The Human World” as you exit, which added to the immersive experience. However, the highlight of the trip for me was Dr. Nel’s lecture on his remarkable book and the invaluable work he is doing to promote children’s literature and honor the authors who have enriched the world with their stories. Dr. Nel is not only an amazing professor but also an inspiring human being who brings joy and life wherever he goes. Fortunately, I will be taking a course with him next semester, and I can’t wait to continue this magical journey under his enthusiastic guidance. I am deeply grateful to our department for providing opportunities like this to explore the vast world of literature and to cultivate our love and passion for becoming better scholars and members of the literary community.

— Hoora Ghanbari Adivi (MA ’26, Cultural Studies Track)

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Phil Nel with graduate students Sierra, Elizabeth, and Margo

The Rabbit hOle was an entirely magical place, not just for the ways in which it brings stories to life, but in the ways it reminded me that I am alive! Me, Elizabeth, and Sierra skipped into the building; Dr. Nel was leaping and bounding around the cave leading to the first floor trail. Once we got to the exhibits, everyone was eager to touch, to climb, to take pictures with storybook friends of the past. I love the moments in my life when I can feel like a child again, like everything around me is big and exciting and brimming with possibility. Walking through the Rabit hOle gave me that feeling again.
 
Dr. Nel’s presentation came with an adjustment in the wake of last week’s election results. It was a nice reminder of the power of imagination, but to me it was also so encouraging to see someone I look up to in academia validate the imaginations of a room full of adults who had come together to celebrate children’s literature. It is so easy to believe in the current climate that the best way forward is to keep my head down, get my work done, get through this. But I didn’t come to K-State for that. I came to K-State to explore the literature that I love and to intervene in conversations and to imagine different ways of seeing movies, books, and English as a discipline! Dr. Nel has been just one of many in the English Department faculty this week who has reminded me that my perspective and creativity is welcome here, regardless of what is going on outside of the classroom, and perhaps because of it.
 
— Margo Losier (MA ’25, Cultural Studies Track)
 
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Phil Nel in the exhibit for Jon Classen’s I Want My Hat Back
 

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Nava in the exhibit for Harry the Dirty Dog

Our trip to The Rabbit hOle Museum was undoubtedly one of the best experiences I’ve had so far, especially because it merged my academic interests with my personal love for children’s literature. Traveling to another city with my lovely friends and my two precious professors was simply great, and the museum itself was a magical space that made me feel as though I had stepped into the worlds of the childhood stories. The highlight of the trip was indeed attending the lecture by Dr. Nel on his new book about Harold and the Purple Crayon, a work I’ve long admired for its whimsical yet profound exploration of creativity and imagination. Listening to him discuss the deeper meanings behind the story was both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant (and made me think about taking more children’s lit classes!). As someone who adores children’s literature, it was thrilling to witness such a deep dive into a book, and to see the ways in which its themes can be unpacked from a literary perspective. For me, this trip was a perfect blend of scholarly pursuit and personal passion, and it reminded me why children’s literature holds such a special place in my heart. Additionally, our visit to Stephen Johnson’s home/art gallery was an unforgettable experience. As an artist myself, I have a deep appreciation for art galleries, and I always find it fascinating to learn about the artist’s process and the background behind creating a piece. This visit was particularly meaningful, not only because I had the chance to meet a new artist, but also as a powerful reminder of the importance of holding on to art, no matter the circumstances or location. I am truly grateful to Dr. Nel and Dr. Westman for this opportunity, and I look forward to attending more events focused on children’s literature as these events are not only enjoyable but also provide a rich and inspiring learning environment.

—  Nava Eghdami (MA ’26, Literature Track)

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Phil Nel with Zach Zoeller (BA ’23), who works at The Rabbit hOle

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Sierra in one of the exhibits

Traveling to Lawrence and KC with Dr. Nel, Dr. Westman, and my classmates was an experience that helped provide context to my studies as a graduate student. As a cultural studies student with a passion for children’s literature, the ways that the books we read as children, how and why they’re created, and how that influences society is an essential idea that I am interested in understanding. Our trip began with a stop at Stephen T. Johnson’s studio. There, I got to see Johnson’s clear passion for art and how he shares that passion with children through his children’s books. Imagination permeates through the art he creates for children, whether that be demonstrating how they can see things in the world around them (like seeing letters in nature in Alphabet City) or how they can create art themselves (by giving them the tools to do so in books like My Little Blue Robot). Johnson lives and breathes his art, and his passion was inspiring. 
 
We were then given a chance to live and breathe the art of children’s literature in The Rabbit hOle. As we walked through their interactive exhibit, we were immersed in the imaginative world of the most influential children’s literature to date. I loved getting to see my own favorites, like Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back, and hear my friends discuss the books influential to their childhoods, like Frog and Toad and Curious George. The Rabbit hOle was a glimpse into the books that shaped us into who we are today, informing our humor, how we interact with others, and the love of literature that led us to study English at K-State. Dr. Nel’s own discussion of his study of Harold and the Purple Crayon was the cherry on top, demonstrating how the literature we read as kids can continue to inspire us to create new possibilities for our lives, drawing with the Purple Crayon that is in all of us.
 
— Sierra Knipe-Cron (MA ’25, Cultural Studies Track)
 
 
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