Children’s Literature: History and Evolution
A) A book written by author John Newbery in 1744, it belongs to the first half of the 18th century. Newbery’s *A Little Pretty Pocket Book* is most notable because it was a commercial, mixed-media text. Children’s literature is not a natural phenomenon but a social construct, born of the European Enlightenment of the 18th century. The evangelistic attitude dominated children’s books until the end of the 18th century and influenced, directly or in reaction, attitudes almost to the end of the 19th century. The trade in children’s books grew steadily; Rousseau had some influence. But there were gradual changes. In the eighteenth century, the implied objective of children’s reading passed from religious education in the early decades to social education in the later ones. By the 19th century, the objective had changed again, to that of social advancement through practical knowledge.
B) It has a didactic or pedagogical intention. We can find several aims in the book. On one hand, it is important to mention its didactic instruction because of the fables, the games utilized to teach them the alphabet, and so on. On the other hand, it is important to remark its entertainment intention. Children like it because of the nursery rhymes, lullabies, etc…
C) It is a fantasy tale. It is an essay or writing because of the writer’s style and the book length. *A Little Pretty Pocket Book* is most notable because it was a commercial, mixed-media text.
XIX “The Golden Age”
The XIX century is called “The golden age” of the children’s book. It’s the century when the child is discovered.
The Early Nineteenth Century
- The most readable of writers from this period is Maria Edgeworth, with her short story “The Purple Jar”
- Fairy tales slowly re-established themselves
- The popular literature expanded with a growth of literacy
- Artistic motifs began to appear in children’s books
- Books specifically for girls and for boys start being produced
- School stories, sea stories, and desert island stories appear.
Maturity (1860-1920)
The period between the publication of Carroll’s *Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland* (1865) and the First World War has been regarded as the first Golden Age of children’s books. It’s the most important period, the Golden Age of the literature. Any didactic intent is secondary to entertainment. Entertainment is the most important thing. Families became smaller and stable. The women’s position in society was changing. Books became cheaper and more complex. Artistic motifs begin to appear in children’s books. Foster’s Education Act of 1820, which legislated for free elementary education and created over one million new places at schools. Juvenile departments were created by Macmillan, Routledge, and Nelson in 1860. Books produced specifically for girls and for boys. The Golden Age was the age of the women writers. For example: Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women”, Beatrix Potter “Benjamin Bunny” The comic strip appears in this period.
In this century, writers include:
The Grimm Brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm
with works such as: “Tom Thumb”, “Blue beard”, “Snow White”, “Cinderella”…
Hans Christian Andersen
with: “Little Mermaid”, “The ugly duckling”, “The Plum Soldier”…
Edward Lear
who started the nonsense literature
Lewis Carroll
combined the fantasy, humor, and nonsense in this book: “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland.”
Carlo Collodi
Pinocchio”
Frank Braum
with “The wizard of Oz”
J. M. Barrie
with “Peter Pan.”