At the Seventh Annual Connecticut Book Awards held in the atrium of Hartford Public Library on September 21, 2008, Drawn to Enchant was awarded the 2008 Connecticut Book Award for Design in praise of its imaginative and colorful arrangement. The Connecticut Center for the Book, which presents the awards every year, celebrates the books, authors, and readers who cultivate the life of the imagination and the literary tradition of the State of Connecticut. A lavishly illustrated collection of over 200 original artworks assembled from books, original illustrations, manuscripts, and ephemera preserved at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University, Drawn to Enchant guides the reader through an epic journey to rediscover the vibrant images found in the treasured books of childhood literature. Designed by Howard Gralla, this volume not only presents an assortment of compelling, vivid images from many of our cherished favorites but also chronicles the gradual evolution of American children’s literature from the era of our Founding Fathers to the present day.

To listen to a podcast interview of Timothy Young, curator of the Betsy Beinecke Shirley Collection of American Children’s Literature, click here.