1. Since the beginning of time, adults have entertained children
with stories and fables. From these folktales developed an
elaborate tapestry of children's literature. Today children's
literature encompasses multiple genres and appeals to
readers of every age.
Emerging from Oral Tradition
Just as other forms of literature, children's literature grew
from stories passed down orally from generation to
generation. Irish folk tales can be traced back as early as
400 BCE, while the earliest written folk tales are arguably
the Pachatantra, from India, which were written around 200
AD. The earliest version of Aesop's Fables appeared on
papyrus scrolls around 400 AD.
In Imperial China, story telling reached its peak during the
Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). Many stories from this epoch
are still used to instruct students in China today. No such
equivalent exists in Greek and Roman literature. However,
the stories of Homer and other storytellers of the era would
certainly have appealed to children.As Europe became a
cultural center of the world, instructive texts became
increasingly common. These books were mostly written in
Latin, with the purpose of instructing children. During the
Middle Ages, very little literature was written for the sole
purpose of entertaining children. Hornbooks, textbooks
containing basic texts like the Lord's Prayer and the alphabet
would not appear until the 1400's. Alphabet books began
popping up around Russia, Italy, Denmark, and other
European countries roughly a century later.
The Advent of Illustration

2. Chapbooks, pocket-sized books often folded rather than
stitched together, were the first books to be illustrated for
children. They usually contained simple woodcut pictures to
go along with their contents--often popular ballads, folk
tales, or religious passages.
Meanwhile, during the 1600's, the concept of childhood was
evolving. Rather than being seen as miniature adults,
children were seen as separate entities with their own needs
and limitations. Thus, publishers throughout Europe began
printing books specifically intended for children. The
purposes of these texts were still frequently didactic,
although several collections of fairy tales were published with
varying success.
The trend of illustrating children's books prevailed, and
children's literature grew in popularity throughout the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In 1744, John Newbery
published A Little Pretty Pocket-Book. The volume was
heralded as the true first book intended for children's
pleasure reading. As paper and printing became more
economical, the children's book industry veritably boomed
during the 1800's.
Modern Children's Picture Books

3. It was in the 1920's that books could be mass produced in
color and literacy became sufficiently widespread to
make children's picture books a true industry unto its own.
Wanda Gag's Millions of Cats (1928) was one of the most
successful of this era, selling more than a million copies.
Other classic children's picture books were published soon
after: The Little Engine that
Could(1930); Babar (1931); Madeline (1933); and Curious
George (1941).
Today, the variety and quality of illustrated children's books
has made them an interesting and desirable focus for rare
book collectors. It's easy to build a collection around a single
illustrator like Charles Van Sandwyk or to focus on children's
Christmas books.
Whatever the focus of the collection, condition is always key.
Some collectors allow a bit more latitude for condition;
children are hard on their books, making copies in
exceptional condition even more scarce. In this regard,
collecting children's books takes a fair amount of patience.
Rather than settling for a book in less than pristine condition,
keep shopping until you find the book you want in the best
condition possible. The right children's book bibliography is
also an invaluable tool for collectors. You'll find bibliographies
dedicated to specific authors, illustrators, and eras.

4. @#@@@
A Brief History of the Development of Children's Literature
"Obedient miniature adult, mischievous free spirit, or mini-consumer - the
image of the child in society has changed many times over the past three
hundred years". (University of Delaware, 1998)
The history of the development of children's literature is fraught with the
consuming desire to impose adult values on children. The Bible was
considered the only reading material necessary for children (Clyde, 1983), and
all early efforts in reading instruction were ultimately directed at achieving
comprehension of this work.
In the nineteenth century, works of literary merit, although not specifically
aimed at children, were made available but only to children of middle and
upper classes.
This century has seen the development of literature specifically for children,
catering to their wants and needs. Development in this area is continuing as
educational theories evolve and specific requirements of individual learners
are identified.
Books in general have become more accessible, with a greater number of
purchasing points, lower costs and greater emphasis in responding to
consumer demands. Dow (1998) notes that publishers have altered format
and content to reflect the contemporary recreational requirements of youth
raised in an era of electronic entertainment.

5. Early works