The Story of Free to Be...You and Me Celebrated in New Exhibition

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art has announced the first exhibition about the transformative power of Free to Be… You and Me, a cultural force that inspired generations of children and families.

Free to Be...You and Me: 50 Years of Stories and Songs will be on view at The Carle from November 16 through April 6, 2025, exploring the profound societal impact and enduring legacy of the groundbreaking 1972 record and 1974 book, as well as the multifaceted project’s evolution through subsequent picture books and television specials.

Organized by guest curator Margi Hofer, the exhibition celebrates actress Marlo Thomas’s radical project on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the 1974 book. Among the 60 objects on view are original artworks, first edition books, the classic album cover, period photographs, audio recordings, magazine articles, and other ephemera.

The exhibition features 28 original artworks by 15 artists across all three books, including:

• original art from the 1974 publication by Bascove and Arnold Lobel
• original illustrations from Free to Be…A Family (1987) by Leo and Diane Dillon, Susan Jeffers, Jerry Pinkney, and John Steptoe
• art from the 35th anniversary book by Tony DiTerlizzi, LeUyen Pham, and Peter Reynolds

“Just as Free to Be…You and Me encouraged kids to express their true selves, its books celebrated individuality by presenting an incredible variety of illustrations,” said curator Margi Hofer. “The uplifting artworks in the exhibition range from the charming pencil drawings of Arnold Lobel and soulful watercolors of Jerry Pinkney to the whimsical illustrations of Peter Reynolds. We’re delighted to reunite and showcase these works for the first time.”

The exhibition opens with the cultural context of the early 1970s, when Marlo Thomas was dismayed to discover that many books available for her young niece reinforced sexist gender stereotypes. On view is one such book, I’m Glad I’m a Boy! I’m Glad I’m a Girl! (1970) by Whitney Darrow, Jr., which presented strict binaries such as “Boys can eat. Girls can cook.” Determined to create a record album that would inspire girls and boys to become their best selves, Thomas enlisted the help of feminist friends including Gloria Steinem and Letty Cottin Pogrebin at Ms. magazine.

The record Free to Be…You and Me featured catchy songs and amusing stories performed by Thomas and her celebrity friends that invited kids into a world free of gender and racial stereotypes and encouraged them to embrace their individuality and celebrate diversity. Building upon the record’s success, the bestselling 1974 book featured stories, poems, and songs illustrated by leading children’s book artists. Original artworks on view from the book include Bascove’s bold woodcut for the story of Atalanta, a feminist retelling of a Greek myth that celebrates female athleticism, intellectual curiosity, and independence; and Arnold Lobel’s pencil drawing for Dudley Pippin and the Principal, about a frustrated boy who is encouraged by a kindly school principal to express his emotions.

A sequel that challenged preconceived notions of family, Free to Be…a Family was published in 1987, and an album and TV special debuted the following year. In 2008, Marlo Thomas and her collaborators released a 35th anniversary edition of the book with all new illustrations for the next generation of children. The exhibition features Joe Mathieu’s artwork for Boy Meets Girl and LeUyen Pham’s illustrations for William’s Doll.