Somewhere in the stacks or shadows of the Boston Public Library there has to be a teacher lurking, because another of their exhibits we saw a few weeks back, “Boston and Beyond,” breaks set with a lead Madeline Hunter would be proud of. When a child walks through the doors he sees colorful pieces of original cartography — from fiction. Narnia, Oz, the Hundred Acre Wood, Neverland, and Fairyland are all there. Then, gradually, the course changes to maps and globes with actual locations (though I would still insist Oz is real). A glassed-in area holds atlases to take off the shelf and read.
Along the perimeter of the exhibit room are cubbies with corresponding blue chairs which small people may stop off at — to read, to put together puzzles, to twirl a globe. And, too, there is an invitation to join a map club just for them. At a window near pop-up landscapes and fairy books, one may look out at an enchanting courtyard. All work together for an afternoon of exploring Boston and Beyond.
The Amazing Bird Collection 