My favorite book growing up had a yellow cover and a dog walking down the road, carrying all he owned in a simple knapsack tied to a stick. Cozy under the covers when my parents thought I was asleep, this book taught me to be courageous, to fight the bad guys, and to not be afraid to feel.

During my first semester freshman year of college in bitter Ohio, on the other side of the country from sunny Los Angeles, I really needed this dog’s bravery. But I couldn’t remember the name of the book. I just couldn’t. 

Years later, the first weekend of my first teaching job, huddled over a stack of papers to grade at a desk at my local library, I noticed an illustration out of the corner of my eye. A watercolor, vintage yellow, a dog playing a piccolo—and carrying a simple knapsack tied to a stick.

My rediscovery of Dominic, by William Steig, 20 years after I first fell in love with that roguish, charming champion of the downtrodden, has become a touchstone of my emotional life. It turned out that what was lost can be found; life does have a way of touching us deeply when we least expect it; and courage and vulnerability really do go hand-in-hand, despite what pop stars and the media have to tell us.

So when I recently learned that Kansas City would be home to the nation’s first immersive museum of children’s literature, I was ready to jump right in. Deb Pettid and Pete Cowdin first gained citywide recognition as the founders of Reading Reptile, a colorful children’s bookstore in Westport. As the store grew in stature, they relocated to Brookside, which a cadre of children’s book authors (as well parents and their grateful children) called home.

But for more than 20 years, Deb and Pete had fostered a dream of outrageous—and courageous— proportions. It was a dream inspired by trips to City Museum in St. Louis, Meow Wolf in Denver—and above all, their deep love and passionate commitment to a life of books and a life of reading.

This dream took a leap forward when they decided to purchase a building in industrial North Kansas City, a former tin can factory, as the new home for their ambitious project: an immersive literary museum centered around a century of children’s literature. 

Their journey into The Rabbit hOle was bolstered by several acclaimed authors and illustrators, many of whom had frequented the Reading Reptile. Figures such as Brian Selznick, author and illustrator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Lemony Snicket, also known as Daniel Handler, author of A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Sophie Blackall, illustrator of the Ivy + Bean series, were enthusiastic about the museum. Sophie even described the potential of this museum as “like Disneyland, but without the commercial aspect, and with books.”

In other words, the perfect museum. 

But the word “museum” doesn’t fully capture The Rabbit hOle. Not at all. Unlike a traditional museum, The Rabbit hOle warmly invites visitors to interact with its exhibits. For instance, kick off your shoes and wander into the cozy Goodnight Moon room, experiencing this bedtime story in an entirely new way; read Caps for Sale while sitting next to the vibrant, mustachioed peddler; or climb furniture in scenes inspired by any number of classic children’s books. Yes: children can climb, crawl, and explore at will, as well as share a story seated next to their parents on colorful couches in wonderful, illustrated worlds.

These immersive storybook galleries and hanging installations rotate approximately every six months. The installations are designed to make visitors feel as if they’ve stepped directly into the creations of their favorite illustrators. The Rabbit hOle holds the rights to more than 70 of these classic books, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight to the imaginative displays that are promised in the coming years.

Ascending a richly-designed stairwell alongside characters straight from the pages of My Father’s Dragon, I noticed a family revisiting the tales of the Parisian Madeline. Around every corner was another opportunity for emotional connection and intellectual engagement with decades of children’s literature, from William Steig to lesser-known writers and illustrators. In addition to these wonderful exhibits, The Rabbit hOle plans to offer a variety of educational programs and workshops aimed at both children and adults. 

As I left The Rabbit hOle, I made sure to stop by its bookstore, The Lucky Rabbit. Of course, I had to buy a copy of Dominic to pass on to the next lost—and found—soul.

Featured in the June 15, 2024 issue of The Independent
By Willie Plaschke
Photo Credit: The Rabbit hOle