The Dubuque Museum of Art is pleased to present a new exhibition highlighting the boundless imagination and humor of children’s book author and artist Arthur Geisert. The original etchings from his newest book will be on view. The book will be available for purchase in the museum shop starting August 30th.

Arthur Geisert is the author of over 30 books, three of which have been awarded The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book Award. Born in Texas and raised in Los Angeles, Geisert came to the Midwest via Omaha and Chicago. He lived in Galena, Illinois for many years before crossing the Mississippi to settle in Iowa in 2007.

DuMA has enjoyed a long relationship with the artist, whose complete works are among the Museum’s most prized collections. Through the generosity of the Jack and Mantea Schmid Family, Arthur Geisert, and Bonnie Geisert, the Museum acquired all of the artist’s prints, books, and etching plates more than a decade ago—a collection that expands with each new book.

How the Big Bad Wolf Got His Comeuppance is the second book in Geisert's trilogy of stories set in Clayton County, Iowa where he lives. Inspired by the county's quaint towns and colorful countryside, Geisert incorporates his fantastical stories into his world. The first book in the trilogy, Pumpkin Island, came out in 2019 and was set in Geisert's hometown of Elkader, the county seat. The third book is currently in creation and will feature trolls who live under the many stone bridges on the Turkey River, the main tributary in the county that flows into the Mississippi River.

Geisert's book presents a new interpretation of the legendary three little pigs story. The mother of the three pigs warns them about the wolf, giving them the opportunity to engineer elaborate arrangements to foil the wolf's plans at every turn. The story is written by Elkader Public Library Director Lisa Wilke Pope and illustrated by Geisert's intricate etchings.