Barbara Carle, who co-founded the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Mass., with her husband, the renowned illustrator and author, died Monday, MassLive.com reported. She was 76. In a post on the museum's website, executive director Alexandra Kennedy wrote that "for 13 years, she inspired us with her vision, her warmth and grace, her intelligence, her wit and her lifelong commitment to children and the arts. She was always a passionate supporter of The Carle, and a tremendous champion of our work and our staff."
Christopher B. Milne, the museum's board chair, called Carle a "warm-hearted woman of tremendous grace and generosity. Throughout her life, art and books and the welfare of children were her sustaining passions. She believed that picture books could enrich children's lives, that they could transform us. She and Eric were determined to create a museum where generations of families could gather together and feel nurtured. From day one, Bobbie was a force behind The Carle."
