History of Children's Literature

TheHistory

ofChildren's Literature

(American Setting)

Early Beginnings: Anglo-Saxon Period

-He is the first man to write lesson books for children.

De Septenario, de Metris, Enigmatibus, ac Pedum Regulis

-contained the meaning and use of the bible, riddles and puzzles in Latin which children were asked to solve.

Aldhemof

Malmesbury

The Medieval Period

Boke of Curtayse-one of the books appeared in

England on manners and morals.

The Babies Boke (Manners and Meals in the Olden Times)

-contained rules of behavior for boys who trained to become knights during the Age of Chivalry.

William Caxton

ABC Books

-These were used at hour of prime as a book of private devotions in the Angelican Church.

Henry VII

-ordered the printing of both Catholic snd Protestant primers that contained the alphabet and Christian principles.

Hornbook

-first book for children to handle.

-3 by 4 ½ inches long and 2 inches wide.

-Capital letters followed by vowels and their combinations with consonants were printed across the top and The Lord's Prayer was printed at the bottom.

Chapbooks

-Single sheets of paper printed on one side only called broadsides were issued.

-a Frenchman published collection of tales entitled Comtes de Ma Mere L' Oye

or Tales of My Mother Goose

- translations of these tales were published separately in chapbooks in England.Charles Perrault

Puritan Period

In England and America books for children were influenced by Puritan ideas:

-fear of God

-religious instruction

-preparation for death

*which the children did not enjoy

Books for adults that interested children:

John Bunyan

Daniel Defoe

Jonathan Swift Guilliver's Travel

Reynard the Fox Aesop's Fables

New England Primer-a book made especially for

children of the American colonies appeared.

-it was a small book, about 3 by 4 ½ inches and had about 100 pages.

-contained the alphabet, words, syllables for spelling, the Lord's Prayer, catechism, hymns and verses rhymes for each letter of the alphabet.

First Picture Book

Orbis Sensualum or Orbis Pictus

It is the first illustrated school book appeared. Also known as The World in Pictures It was invented by Johann Amos Comenius, an

educator who believed in teaching children by letting them see things with their own eyes.

Originally written in German Translated in England by Charles Hooke

17th Century and 18th Century Books

Dr. Isaac Watts published Divine and Moral Songs for Children.

He is also the starting point of children's literature.

Dr. Isaac Watts

The first children's poem.

Battledore succeeded the hornbook.

It was a 4 by 6 ½ tree-leaved cardboard that folded ike a pocket book.

It had the alphabet and easy reading matter that made it popular until 1840.

John Newberry Era

-was a writer and publisher who first taught publishing books solely for children.

-He was called “Father of Children's Literature” for he conceived the idea of publishing books for the enjoyment and entertainment of children.John Newberry

The first book that can be truly called a child's book.

The Didactic Period

-was a French philosopher who started a new philosophy in the education of children.

-wrote Emile that embodied the philosophy that children be given freedom to develop their natural interests and learn from actual experience.Jean Jacques Rousseau

-This is a story about a good little boy and his teavher and both tried to reform a bad boy.

The Return of Fairy Tales Old and New It is a collection of

German stories not only for the entertainment of children but also to record them scientifically for posterity.

Collection of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.

-published Fairy Tales.

-regarded as the great master of the literary fairy tale.

-Among of his tales were:

Thumbelina The Emperor's New

Clothes The Nightingale

Hans Christian Andersen

Edward Lear's Book of Nonsense marked the need for laughter in the normal development of children.

Was a mathematics professor at the Oxfor University who made up stories for a little girl named Alice Lidell whom Lewis is very fond of.

Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll's collection

Realistic Literature

This period was marked with the appearance of:

- stories of boys and girls in simpe home situations.

-stories of adventure

-of brave men and women

-history and growth of countries

-the wonders of nature and science

The best example of Realistic story was Louisa M. Alcott's Little Women.

-it is a story of four little girls, their petty quarrels, teir courage an addffection for one another.

-this was followed by Little Men.

Louisa May Alcott