History of Childrens

Literature
Presented by
Prof. T. Mndez
ENGL 3440 Childrens
Literature in English

Early Works
Before

the eighteenth century there

were no separate categories of books
for children.
Early books for children were
strongly influenced by the
conservative English beliefs of the
seventeenth century.

Early Works
Children

were seen as amoral savages

needing to be taught right from
wrong.
Death

and damnation
Humor and imagination banned

Early Works

Johann Amos Comenius, 1592-1670

Joh. Amos Comenii Orbis Sensualium Pictus. London:

Printed for S. Leacroft, 1777.

Translated as The Visible World or The World Around Us

in Pictures, was the first European schoolbook based on the
idea of visual education.

This

book is generally considered to be the first

picture book specifically for children.

Early Works
John

The

Bunyan, 1628-1688

Pilgrims Progress: From this World

to that which is to Come
This powerful religious allegory of mans
quest for salvation is one of the most
influential books in English literature.

Early Works
John

Foxe, 1516-1587

Acts

and Monuments of Matters Most

Special and Memorable, Happening in the
Church
One

of the most widely-read books in

England

Early Works
Daniel
The

Defoe, 1661-1731

Life and Strange Surprising

Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
Considered

one of the first English Novels

Early Works

Little Pretty Pocket-book:

Intended for the Instruction and
Amusement of Little Mater Tommy,
and Pretty Miss Polly
First

published in English in 1744 by

John Newbury
Considered the first childrens book

 History

Early Works

of Goody Two Shoes.

Baltimore: Bayly and Burns, 1837
Thought

to be the first piece of original

English fiction written to amuse children.
Originally published by John Newbury in
1765.
Authorship is attributed to the English
poet Oliver Goldsmith.

Early Works
Maria

Edgeworth, 1767-1849
Frank and the Farmer. Troy, N.Y.:
Merriam & Moore, circa 1850.
The

Irish author Maria Edgeworth was

one of the earliest and most important
woman writers for children.

Early Works
Isaac

Watts, 1674-1748
Divine Songs Attempted in Easy
Language for the Use of children,
first published in 1715 was one of the
first books expressly written for
children.

Early Works - Chapbooks

Chapbooks

were small inexpensive

stitched tracts sold by itinerant
merchants or chapmen, in western
Europe and North America from the
seventeenth to the early nineteenth
century.

Chapbooks

The Pleasant and Delightful History of

Jack and the Giants. Nottingham: Printed
for the Running Stationers, 1790.

Famous Exploits of Robin Hood: Including

an Account of his Birth, Education, and
Death. Penrith [England]: Joseph Allison,
circa 1800.

Chapbooks

The Renowned History of Richard Whittington and

his Cat. New-Haven: Sidney's Press, 1826.

History of the Sleeping Beauty in the Wood.

Glasgow: Printed for the booksellers, 1852

The Polish General, and Faithful Servant: to which

is added The Wonderful Deliverance of a Soldier.
Norwich: Printed by J. Payne, circa 1800.

 Aesops

Fables

Fables

Earliest

written stories known to

children
Sir Roger LEstrange, 1616-1704
Fables

of Aesop: and other eminent

mythologists: with morals and reflexions
LEstrange added reflections which further
discussed the moral issues involved in the
stories.

Fables

The Childs Illuminated Fable-book William Smith, 1847

The use of chromolithography and the
pseudo-mediaeval design reflects the craze
of the middle of the nineteenth century
for ornate gift books. Improvements in
color printing technology made it possible
to produce multicolored plates
inexpensively.

Fairy Tales
Fairy

tales, which were passed down

from generation to generation
through oral tradition, were first
collected and published in France in
the seventeenth century.

 Cinderella

Fairy Tales

Sleeping

Beauty
Red Riding Hood
Puss in Boots
All

derived from the Tales of Long Ago

collected by Charles Perault in 1697.
Later on other versions of these stories
were presented in different forms.

Fairy Tales

Jacob Grimm, 1785 - 1863

The Brothers Grimm collected and
published German Popular Stories between
1812 and 1822
They collected over 200 stories from
friends, storytellers and old books
Stories generally ended happily but filled
with violence and trickery.

Books of Instruction
In eighteenth century books for children,
the main concern was imparting religious
and moral instruction and a code of social
behavior.
By the beginning of the nineteenth century,
there was a movement to extend the childs
education.

Books of Instruction

Books

began to appear in the homes

of the growing middle class.
The books often used a
conversational approach of question
and answer.
Used as a monologue on the part of
the adult.

Primers
Originally

the name of a prayer book

Simple books for teaching children
letters, prayers and simple subjects.

 Reproduction

Primers

of a Horn Book. Boston:

Printed by Otto H. Miller. Miller for
the Horn Book, 1939.
The hornbook was the earliest form
of childrens primer in England and
America from the late 16th to the
late 18th century.

Primers
A

sheet containing the letters of the

alphabet, simple words, and a Bible
verse was mounted on a wooden frame
and protected with thin, transparent
plates of horn.

Primers
My

Little Primer. Worcester: S.A.

Howland, 1800.
The verses in this small book include
Mary Had a Little Lamb and The
Lords Prayer.

Primers
The

New Fun with Dick and Jane.

Chicago: Scott, Foresman and Co.,
1956.
From the 1930s to the 1960s, Dick
and Jane books were synonymous with
learning to read.

Pop-up and Movable Books

The

books were called harlequinades

due to the appearance of the
Harlequin character in early versions
first appearing during the
seventeenth century.

Stories: Before 1850

Religious books
Requiring a stated moral perspective
Fairy tales and folk tales considered a
threat to moral order
Literature developed to ensure childrens
reading would reflect the conservative
Protestantism of the time.

Stories: After 1850

Golden age of Childrens Literature in

England and the United States.
Great writers teamed with great
illustrators
Industrial revolution led to advances in
printing.
Growing middle class increase interest in
education, expanded audience for
childrens books.

Stories: After 1850

Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Caroll
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark
Twain
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling

 The

Stories: After 1850

Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L.
Frank Baum
Robin Hood and the Men of the Green
Wood - Henry Gilbert
Treasure Island - Robert Louis
Stevenson
Jumanji - Chris Van Allsburg

The Book Awards

The Newbery Medal

Winners chosen every year by the Association

for Library Service to Children
Established in 1922
The Oldest award for childrens books.
Awarded to the author of the most
distinguished contribution to American
literture

The Book Awards

The

Randolph J. Caldecott Medal

Established

in 1938
Awarded to the most distinguished
American picture book for children