La petite taupe / The small mole

For the first time, the Natural history museum of Lille conceptualised and conceived an exhibition dedicated especially for children between three and six years old. 

The Small Mole or The Small Mole Who Wanted to Know Who Had Defecated on Its head. 

For this young public, the museum chose to stage a children’s literature bestseller conceptualised in 1989 by Werner Holzwarth (who wrote the texts) and Wolf Erlbruch (who did the illustrations): the story of a small mole who, coming out of its molehill, receives a dropping on its head and, furious, the mole leaves the molehill to search for the culprit. 

In the exhibition, the animals from this story (represented by stuffed animals) tell, in an innovative way, the adventure of this small mole. To discover the culprit of this abomination, the children have to examine with attention the droppings of the suspects: the pigeon, the cow, the horse, the dog, the goat, the hare and the pig. 

Pictures, films and a re-creation of a molehill and its tunnels also offered the opportunity to discover the lifestyle of the captivating mole, yet nicknamed the “gardeners’ terror”. A focus on the droppings encouraged questions about their origin and shape. In the reading area, the children could discover how the small mole had finally avenged this affront. 

A visit booklet designed for the parents and the accompanying adults had been conceived and was available at the exhibition entrance. The booklet proposed a visit scenario to help the children enjoy the exhibition as much as possible. 

The concept and a major part of the exhibition have been borrowed by the museum of Rouen in 2018.