by Rebecca Ballenger, Associate Director of Worlds of Words Center

Mary J. Wong, renowned collector of art and signed, first-edition children’s picturebooks, donated sixteen original picturebook illustrations to the Worlds of Words (WOW) Center of Global Literacies and Literatures in the UArizona College of Education. The donation includes works from some of the most notable children’s picturebooks published in recent years – including art by illustrators attending the Tucson Festival of Books.

WOW Center staff member, Aika Adamson, sets up display of Juana Martinez-Neal illustrations that are part of a new donation from Mary J. Wong.

The WOW Center welcomes this exceptional gift, which will not only enrich the center’s art holdings but also provide a unique learning opportunity for students, educators and the general public. “We are honored to receive this outstanding collection of original illustrations from Mary Wong,” says Kathy Short, Director of the WOW Center and professor in the Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies department. “These illustrations are a valuable resource that provides the opportunity to study and share the creative processes of picturebook illustrators and the cultural significance of the stories.”

The donated illustrations are from several award-winning picturebooks and include “A Perfect Fit,” “Zonia’s Rain Forest” and “Tomatoes for Neela,” illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal. Also included are three illustrations from “Cookiesaurus Rex” illustrated by A.G. Ford, and “Pearl” and “Witch Hazel” illustrated by Molly Idle. The WOW Center will have these illustrations, along with others by these illustrators, on display leading up to and after the Tucson Festival of Books for people who would like to take a closer look.

Ruby Ochoa, a junior in Rehabilitation Studies, takes a closer look at A.G. Ford illustrations from Cookiesaurus Rex that were donated by Mary J. Wong.

The donation also features illustrations from Amanda Shepherd’s books, “Who Loves Me,” “Fiona Loves the Night” and “Rules of the Wild. Additionally, Wong donated two pieces by Ronald Himler from “One Small Blue Bead” and two pieces by Felicia Hoshino from “A Place Where Sunflowers Grow.”

“The addition of these illustrations enhances the WOW Center’s current art holdings and expands our ability to teach the visual literacy skills needed to understand picturebook art. This donation is a significant contribution to our work in promoting literacy and cultural understanding through global literature and art,” says Short.

Mary J. Wong is a graduate of the UArizona College of Education and a retired school librarian. She is an advocate for multicultural children’s literature and has been a longtime supporter of the WOW Center. Her donation of these original illustrations is an exceptional contribution to the center’s mission of enriching global perspectives through children’s literature.

The WOW Center invites the public to view a selection of these illustrations on display in the Mary J. Wong Special Collection room through August 18, 2023, with the exception of UArizona Spring Break. Journey through Worlds of Words 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information or to schedule a field trip or guided tour, contact wow@arizona.edu or visit wowlit.org.

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• Themes: AG Ford, Amanda Shepard, Felicia Hoshino, Juana Martinez-Neal, Mary J Wong, Molly Idle, Ronald Himler
• Descriptors: WOW News