The

History
of
Children'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
Aldhem the bible, riddles and puzzles in
of Latin which children were asked
Malmesbury to solve.
 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
William Caxton knights during the Age of
Chivalry.
 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
Charles Perrault chapbooks in England.
 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
John Newberry entertainment of children.
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
Jean Jacques Rousseau actual experience.
-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 Hans Christian

The Nightingale 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