We Are Family In Worlds of Words Center Exhibit
“We Are Family!: Depictions of Family in Contemporary Picture Books” (“Alles Familie!”) an exhibit from the International Youth Library (IYL) in Munich, Germany, looks at how the profound social changes in the last decades impact all realms of life, including family. The exhibit will be on display in the Worlds of Words Center, College of Education, throughout the Fall semester.
Middle School Reading Ambassadors, Catalina and Kamila, share a copy of Regentag by Jens Rasmussen, which serves as a touchstone book for one of the activities developed by the center to accompany the We Are Family! exhibit. The book about two children who use their imagination to enjoy a rainy day was sent directly to the center by the publisher, Peter Hammer Verlag in Wuppertal, Germany.
Photo by Melanie Reyes
Children grow up around the world in a range of familial circumstances, including traditional father-mother-child families, single-parent families, blended or “patchwork” families, same-sex parents, adoptive parents and intergenerational families. The IYL exhibit formally includes 50 international books depicting these families and Worlds of Words shares an additional book set curated by Regents Professor Kathy Short, director of Worlds of Words.
“Families have always taken a range of forms, but only recently have we acknowledged those structures and their significance for children, who most of all need to feel loved and secure,” says Short. “An additional complication today is that global mobility and migration have led to many residents in the U.S. having families in other parts of the world with whom they strive for connection.”
The “Alles Familie!” exhibition traces how the depiction of family life and relationships are reflected in contemporary picture books. In addition to a systematic textual representation of multiple family forms, IYL selected books with quality illustrations that provide a look into diverse aspects of family life.
“The books are organized around global depictions of family life, interactions with mothers and fathers, sibling relationships and special connections between children and grandparents. Families, schools and classrooms visiting the exhibit are invited to consider the many kinds of families that exist around the world and reflect on their own families through the books, posters, and art engagements,” says Short.
The picturebooks, which will remain in the center even after the exhibit closes, are by internationally renowned authors and illustrators. Some of the exhibit books are difficult to source in the U.S. Worlds of Words worked with the Rabén & Sjögren Agency in Sweden to acquire “Vi hittar Smulbert,” a book by Emma Adbåge about a joyful day of play on the beach that balances the disappointment and anger that can occur on such outings. In addition to the posters and books, visitors can contribute to participatory art projects and other activities.
“Alles Familie!” will be on display in Worlds of Words through December 17, 2026. The collection is free to visit and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays-Fridays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays (excluding holidays and closures). For more information contact wow@arizona.edu or to schedule a field trip or guided tour through our online form.
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"Alles Familie!" was conceived by the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany. For more information on this exhibit, contact Maria Luise Weber at marialuise.weber@ijb.de. More about this exhibition can be found at https://www.ijb.de/en/exhibitions/travelling-exhibitions/single/we-are-…. Information on IYL can be accessed at https://www.ijb.de/en/about-us/the-international-youth-library.
