Much-loved children’s book illustrator Helen Oxenbury celebrated in her first major solo exhibition.

This autumn, the Harley Gallery in Nottinghamshire will present the first major solo exhibition by award-winning children’s book illustrator Helen Oxenbury. Helen Oxenbury: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Other Adventures will be on display from 4 October 2025 to 4 January 2026.

From playful babies to brave adventurers, Oxenbury’s characters have charmed generations of readers. This new exhibition features over 100 original illustrations from a career spanning five decades, including We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Farmer Duck, Alice in Wonderland, So Much, Big Mama Makes the World, and Oh Dear, Look What I Got!, her 2025 reunion with Bear Hunt author Michael Rosen published by Walker Books.

Visitors will go behind the pages of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt to discover Oxenbury’s creative process – from early pencil sketches and delicate, bookmark-sized landscapes to full-page watercolours and unpublished illustrations. Highlights include a rare, early version of the story, in which the now-familiar family looks completely different.

One of the world’s most popular and acclaimed children’s book illustrators, Oxenbury was a pioneer of the baby board book, and the exhibition includes a selection of her early books Page 2 of 4 created especially for babies and toddlers. She was the first UK illustrator to recognise the importance of making books for babies, and her work continues to bring parents and children together today.

At the centre of the gallery is a new sensory play space created by textile artist Ruth Waller. Taking inspiration from a range of Helen’s illustrations, the interactive installation will be filled with fluffy clouds, swishy, swashy grass, soft toy storytelling props and much more. The installation is designed for babies, adults and children alike to crawl, play, relax and read in the heart of the exhibition. “It is impossible,” Oxenbury famously told an interviewer, “to be too much on the side of the child.”

Throughout the exhibition visitors of all ages are invited to engage in the creative process of this much-loved artist – trying their hand at writing and illustrating their own stories inspired by Oxenbury’s inclusive and imaginative approach.

A new countryside trail, inspired by We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, will take families from the Harley Gallery through ‘swishy, swashy grass’ and ‘a big dark forest’ – ending with a bear in a ‘narrow, gloomy cave’ at Creswell Crags.

Harley Foundation Director Bryony Bond said “We’re thrilled to be presenting the first major exhibition of Helen’s work here in Nottinghamshire. An internationally renowned illustrator, Helen’s extraordinary talent has long deserved this spotlight and it’s remarkable that such a significant showcase hasn’t happened until now. This exhibition also reflects our ongoing commitment to celebrating the creativity and imagination of children’s book illustrators— artists whose work offers one of the most accessible introductions to art, sparking curiosity and opening up new worlds for young minds.”

– Helen Oxenbury: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Other Adventures is showing 4 October 2025 – 4 January 2026 at the Harley Foundation, North Nottinghamshire.

– Alongside the exhibition there will be We’re Going on a Bear Hunt inspired countryside trail for families.

– The exhibition is free to enter and there is a large, free car park. The gallery is open Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 4pm. Closed Mondays.

– The Harley Foundation is on the Welbeck estate, on the A60 south of Worksop. It is 15 minutes from both the A1 and M1.

– This exhibition has been co-curated by Selina Skipwith with the support of Walker Books.