Yesterday and Today in the World of Children's Books Part 1

1. Yesterday and Today in the
World of Children’s Books
Part 1
LIT 012
Jovy D. Elimanao-Mihm, MAEd (English)

2. By the end of the session,
expect to
• Answer questions about the types of
children’s books discussed
• Work in a triad to reflect and discuss the
changes and developments in the field of
children’s literature

3. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces
• Focus on the relationship with the Almighty
• Moralistic and didactic visual representations
• Began even before mass printing is
imaginable
• Monks were taught to read and write as a
privilege

4. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces
• John Amos Comenius
• Czech bishop,
philosopher, pedagogue
and theologian
• Wanted the books
more appealing to kids
• Made the first
illustrated book

5. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces
• His book is called the
Orbis Pictus (Orbis
Sensualium Pictus) –
The Visible World in
Pictures
• He used woodcuts to
transfer pictures into
the pages
• Published circa 1658

6. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces

7. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces
• Most books children
were exposed to
would describe God
as vengeful and
fearsome
• Many would
describe them as
terrifying

8. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces
• Most books were
prayer books and
simplified bibles
• The New England
Primer contains the
alphabet each
representing a
biblical concept
taught in the
colonies

9. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces

10. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces
• Children used
hornbooks, paddle-
like pieces of wood
with a glued page
from the primer
• Designed to ensure
longevity for the
pages of the texts

11. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces
• Mainly religious
topics
• integrated with the
basic lessons like the
alphabet

12. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces
• Children rebelled
against their strict
mentors and
started exploring
“forbidden
materials”
• The more forbidden,
the better

13. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces
• The most popular
was the “chapbooks”
or the cheap
illustrated versions of
the popular tales and
other stories
• “Chapbooks” is the
corruption of the
phrase, cheap books

14. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces
• Children can buy these
“forbidden books” for a
few cents
• learned myths, legends
and other traditional
stories through the
“more interesting”
chapbooks
• Chapbooks are the
forerunner of today’s
comic books

15. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces
• The first religious
books that appealed
to children was the
Pilgrim’s Progress
• Extremely religious,
but has interesting
plot that children
like

16. Church as a Source of Literary
Pieces
• John Bunyan
publish the first
edition in 1678
• Excellent pacing and
action filled
• Children adopted as
their own

17. The Great Shift

18. The Great Shift
• Increased interest on children at the peak
of the Age of Enlightenment in Europe
• Previously, they were considered as second
class citizens
• Philosophers like John Locke and Jean
Jacques Rousseau started the movement
towards wonder and appreciation for
children

19. The Great Shift
• John Locke on
children:
• “Curiosity in children
is but an appetite for
knowledge. The great
reason why children
abandon themselves
wholly to silly pursuits
and trifle their time
insipidly is, because
they find their
curiosity balked, and
their inquiries
neglected.”

20. The Great Shift
• Jean Jacques
Rousseau on children:
• “We cannot teach the
children the danger of
telling lies to men
without realizing, on
the man’s part, the
danger of telling lies
to children. A single
untruth on the part
of the master will
destroy the results of
his education.”

21. The Great Shift
• John Newbery, an
English publisher
thought along the
lines of Locke and
Rousseau and realized
the potential of
children as a clientele.
• He commissioned the
leading writers to
write stories for
children.

22. The Great Shift
• By mid-18th
century, Newbery
produced two
outputs for this
project.
• This has changed
the children’s book
publishing industry
entirely

23. The Great Shift
• Newbery, a
businessman, had a
great marketing
scheme of giving
gifts for every book
purchase
• Ball and chain for
boys and pin
cushion for girls

24. The Great Shift
• Newbery was also
responsible for the
introduction of
battledores.
• Unlike the hornbook
with only one side, it
has three foldable
sides
• It also has no religious
lessons, but are
entertaining stories

25. The Great Shift
• Because of the “great
shift” he started in
children’s lit, the
American Library
Association, has been
giving the Newbery
Medal to the winner
of the annual writer
for children’s story
awardee.
• It has started in
1922.

26. The Great Shift
• While Napoleon was
conquering
territories by 19th
century, the
soldiers’ children
used books as refuge
• Colorful illustrations
were introduced by
legendary
illustrators like
Randolph Caldecott

27. The Great Shift
• Though he sketches
pretty much anything
for any story,
majority of his work
involves horses
• Even for today’s
illustrators, his work
is described as having
the ability to give life
to stories, may it be
with the sight or
senses

28. The Great Shift
• An award for the
annual children’s
book illustrator was
also named for him
by the ALA.

29. Triad Activity
Part 1: Give the significance of the following
in the early years of children’s literature:
• 1. Orbis Pictus
• 2. New England Primer
• 3. hornbooks
• 4. chapbooks
• 5. Pilgrim’s Progress

30. Triad Activity
Part 2: Answer as fully but as simply as you can
1. Why were the monks responsible for the
production of early books for children? How
did this affect the initial attitude towards
books?
2. What made chapbooks attractive? What
implication does this have for the production of
materials for young readers?
3. What major changes was brought by the
“shifts” in children’s lit? How influential were
they?