MANCHESTER.- Manchester Art Gallery launched a major new exhibition this summer dedicated to the work of award-winning children’s author and illustrator Lauren Child. Child's best-selling books have been captivating children and their parents for almost 10 years. They include the hugely successful Charlie and Lola (who have gone on to become the stars of a CBBC and Disney Playhouse television series) as well as Clarice Bean, That Pesky Rat and Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent.

Green Drops and Moonsquirters is the first ever exhibition to bring Lauren Child’s popular books to life. Displays are based on illustrations, characters and themes from all her books and are fully interactive. They combine original illustrations with fun and engaging hands-on activities for under 7s and their families.

Visitors are invited to literally step into the world of Child’s books. Playhouses based around her most popular characters encourage families to explore and play. They can:

Sit at Charlie and Lola’s kitchen table and make meals with food from their fridge.

Dress-up in Charlie and Lola’s favourite outfits including Lola’s fabulous alligator costume from I Am TOO Absolutely Small For School.

Draw imaginary friends on a magna-doodle (inspired by Lola’s friend Soren Lorensen).

Visit Grubby Alley where That Pesky Rat lives.

Perform puppet shows to an audience of family and friends (in a theatre created from the four-poster bed in The Princess and The Pea).

Lauren Child studied art in Manchester and she worked as an artist’s assistant for Damien Hirst before embarking on her career in children’s literature. Her illustrations artfully combine drawing, collage and photography while witty and irreverent text weaves through the pages in unconventional ways. This brand new exhibition features over thirty original illustrations from Child’s books. A selection of 3D sets and dolls house furniture created for The Princess and the Pea are also on display.

Curated and developed by Manchester Art Gallery, the free exhibition will be on view until 21 September 2008 before touring to museums and galleries around the UK.

Councillor Michael Amesbury, Executive Member for Arts & Leisure comments:
“This free exhibition is going to be a real highlight of the summer in the North West. It will be a great opportunity for families to explore Lauren Child’s illustrations and books together. I’m also delighted that this home-grown exhibition will go on to visit venues around the UK – ensuring it will be enjoyed by even more people across the country.”