Hello Sophie!: The Artwork of Sophie Blackall brings original picture book art by two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall to the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) through January 3, 2027. Families visiting our galleries in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park can explore the work of the children’s book illustrator behind Ivy and Bean, Finding Winnie, and Hello Lighthouse.
Organized by the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) in Abilene, Texas, the exhibition invites you to award-winning artwork of Sophie Blackall. Think of the page your child always wants to revisit before the story moves on, and now a gallery visit makes room for that same curiosity, with time to notice a detail, imagine a conversation, or wonder how an artist made a character feel so real.
Hello Sophie! at a Glance
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| On view | Through January 3, 2027 |
| Location | Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, FL 32803 |
| Regular admission | Adults: $20; ages 6-17: $8; ages 5 and under: free |
| Family Bundle | $45 for two adults and up to three children; available at the front desk |
| Meet the artist | Free Family Day: Saturday, October 3, 2026, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
Who Is Sophie Blackall?
Sophie Blackall is an Australian artist based in Brooklyn who has illustrated more than 50 children’s books. She illustrated Annie Barrows’s Ivy and Bean series, and her pictures for Lindsay Mattick’s Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear earned the 2016 Randolph Caldecott Medal. In 2019, she received the medal again for Hello Lighthouse, which she both wrote and illustrated.
The Caldecott Medal recognizes picture book illustration, a reminder to give the pictures as much attention as the words. Return to a favorite page and consider what the image adds: a character’s expression, a sense of place, or a small discovery that the text leaves for you to find. Blackall also founded Milkwood Farm, a creative retreat for the children’s book community in upstate New York.
What You’ll See in Hello Sophie!
Original illustrations from Hello Lighthouse are part of the exhibition, offering a chance to experience Blackall’s art beyond the printed page. The book follows a lighthouse keeper and his family as life inside their home unfolds against a changing sea. Read it together before visiting and choose a picture you would like to spend more time with.
Before visiting, take a look at the illustration from A Fine Dessert on our exhibition page. Blackall created this image for Emily Jenkins’s book using Chinese ink and watercolor on Arches paper. That connection between materials and storytelling is worth keeping in mind as you explore: a picture begins with decisions about marks, color, and the space around them.
In the galleries, try beginning with an image rather than a label. Notice where Blackall places the figures or how a line draws your eye across a scene, then ask what the picture makes you expect will happen next. You and your child might imagine different answers, giving you a reason to look again together.
A Family Visit That Starts with Your Child’s Curiosity
For families looking for fun activities in Orlando, Hello Sophie! offers an indoor outing built around enjoying pictures together. Your child doesn’t need to read independently or know the books to begin; follow whatever catches their attention.
With toddlers and preschoolers, choose one image and look for a color, animal, or gesture together. A four-year-old might enjoy inventing a line of dialogue for a figure in the picture while you add the next line. Let the visit be short when it needs to be.
For a nine-year-old who knows Ivy and Bean, shift the conversation toward the illustrator’s choices. How can a face reveal a feeling without words? What changes when an artist makes something tiny or lets it fill the picture? These questions work with unfamiliar illustrations, too, so there’s no need to arrive with a reading list completed.
Meet Sophie Blackall at Free Family Day on October 3
Sophie Blackall will join us for a free Family Day on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day includes her presentation and a book signing, along with hands-on artmaking, gallery activities, storytelling, and music.
Families will experience Hello Lighthouse through Symphony Storytime@OMA, featuring a narrated reading brought to life with live music performed by musicians from the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s a chance to encounter the story through sound as well as pictures, then spend time exploring the art that inspired your visit. Reading the book beforehand can give children something familiar to listen for and a starting point for their own questions about making books.
Our Family Day page has program updates. Check the event details for presentation times and any registration, seating, or book-signing instructions before coming. The celebration is free for the whole family; food is available for purchase.
Keep the Story Going with Family Programs
On Friday, October 16, Art Adventures: Let Your Light Shine connects Hello Lighthouse with a night-light project and time with the original illustrations. The workshop runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon, is recommended for ages 2-10 with a grown-up, and requires preregistration. It’s a way to move from noticing an artist’s choices to making some of your own.
For guided conversation, Family Highlights Tours take place at 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month, with dates on October 10, November 7, December 5, and January 2, 2027. Tours are free with paid gallery admission; October 3 is the free Family Day. Each tour explores selected works across the museum, giving your family more art to discover together.
Our Stroller Tours welcome infants, toddlers, and their grown-ups, including chatty or crying babies, on select Wednesdays. October 7 and 21 tours begin at 10:30 a.m. Check individual listings for fees and registration, and explore our Family Programs for more ways to turn looking into a shared experience.
Plan Your Visit to the Orlando Museum of Art
Our regular hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; we are closed Mondays and major holidays. Use Plan Your Visit for directions and visitor notices, and our Tickets page for current admission options. Special programs, including Family Day, may start outside regular gallery hours.
For another free outing, Access for All at OMA offers free museum admission from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on third Thursdays of each month, except November. October 15 and December 17 fall during the exhibition’s run. Check gallery availability and any special-event notices before choosing your date, particularly around Festival of Trees and the holidays.
FAQs About Hello Sophie! and Visiting with Kids
Who illustrated the Ivy and Bean books?
Sophie Blackall illustrated the Ivy and Bean series, which was written by Annie Barrows.
Which Sophie Blackall books won the Caldecott Medal?
Blackall received the 2016 Caldecott Medal for Finding Winnie, written by Lindsay Mattick, and the 2019 medal for Hello Lighthouse, which she wrote and illustrated.
When does Hello Sophie! close in Orlando?
Hello Sophie!: The Artwork of Sophie Blackall is on view at the Orlando Museum of Art through January 3, 2027.
When can we meet Sophie Blackall at OMA?
Blackall will give a presentation and sign books during free Family Day on October 3, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check the event listing for individual activity times.
How much is regular admission for a family?
Adults are $20, children ages 6-17 are $8, and kids 5 and under are free. The $45 Family Bundle covers two adults and up to three children and is available at the front desk. To accompany the exhibition, there is a Discovery Center with a reading area and activities. The 14′ lighthouse is perfect for a photo-op!
Is Hello Sophie! suitable for toddlers?
Toddlers can explore the pictures with a grown-up, and strollers are welcome. For a guided visit designed around infants and toddlers, check our Stroller Tours schedule.
Is this an indoor activity for kids in Orlando?
Yes. Hello Sophie! is in OMA’s indoor galleries, making it an option for a rainy-day family visit.
Can we take photographs in the exhibition?
Personal, non-flash photography is permitted in most OMA galleries, but exhibition-specific restrictions may apply. Follow posted signs and staff guidance; flash photography is not allowed.
Bring a Story Home from OMA
Before leaving, invite everyone to choose a picture they would like to remember. Back at home, revisit a book or draw a scene of your own, letting the gallery conversation continue on paper. Explore Hello Sophie! The Artwork of Sophie Blackall at OMA, then choose a visit that gives your family time to look, wonder, and discover together.
