Musée de l'illustration jeunesse, Youth illustration museum in Moulins, France

The Musée de l'illustration jeunesse (MIJ) occupies the Hôtel de Mora, a private mansion built in 1750 and listed as a monument historique. Its tan and brown stone facade has a triangular pediment, a slate roof with three dormer windows and two brick chimneys, and four upper windows each painted with a different illustration. Inside, the museum holds over 3,800 original plates and 11,500 books.

The Hôtel de Mora was built in 1750 for the Cadier de Veauce family. From 1836 to 1858 it housed the Desrosiers printing works. In the 19th century the Spanish marquis Pascal Moreno de Mora, an exile, owned it and carried out the alterations that gave the building its present appearance. The Conseil général de l'Allier acquired it in 1948; after housing the DDAS until 1991 and several years of works, it opened as the MIJ in 2005.

The place shows how artists bring children's stories to life through their drawings and reveals the special role that picture book art plays in French culture. Visitors experience here how different artistic styles and techniques have shaped how people understand children's literature over many decades.

The museum is located in a historic building in the center of Moulins that is easy to reach on foot and sits near other sights to see. It is helpful to check the opening hours before visiting, as times can vary with the season.

The museum awards the Grand Prix de l'illustration each year since 2008; early winners include Juliette Binet for Edmond (2008) and Anne Herbauts for Moindres petites choses (2009). In 2010 illustrator Letizia Galli donated 2,906 drawings to the collection.