Children’s literature has changed in many ways over the ages. It has changed in substance, in presentation, and in variety. In the ancient world oral tales were composed to be heard and not read. There were not many stories composed for children. Aesop’s Fables, animal tales with morals, were told during this time.
During the Middle Ages few children could read and very little was written for children. Childhood was a very short period of time. Children listened to adult stories such as the stories about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Fables were a favorite of children during this time. Stories contained magic, the impossible, excitement and serious topics. Children were considered small adults.
During the European Renaissance the invention of the printing press made it possible to print books in quantity. This helped increase literacy and education, and advanced knowledge. Children became more literate. The earliest children’s illustrated book, a Latin vocabulary book, was published in 1658. By the end of the 17th century social changes allowed for the focus on the needs of the child. Horn books containing early language lessons were developed.
During the 18th and early 19th centuries there was little to distinguish children’s literature. John Newberry published between 1745 and 1769 a large number of children’s books on reading, philosophy and science. His A Little Pretty Pocket Book was the first significant publication written specifically for children. During this period books taught children how to be good and proper human beings. Folk tales appeared during this time. They contained adult themes, violence, and a lack of moral messages. They were not written for children, but they read them.
Children’s literature came into its own during the Victorian age. Authors and illustrates began to turn their efforts to children and their books. The books included fantasies (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), adventures stories (The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn), domestic stories (Little Women), and books illustrated by great illustrators which became available at reasonable prices.
In the 20th century children’s literature saw a greater diversity in children’s books, including picture books, fantasy, realistic fiction, and informational books. Children’s literature includes age appropriate books. In addition, numerous book awards have been established, including the Newberry Medal for most distinguished book written for children, and the Caldecott Medal for most distinguished illustration in a children’s book.
I chose to write about chapbooks. I had not heard of these before this week’s assignment. Chapbooks were small, inexpensive publications that contained a variety of information. They were called chapbooks because they were sold by peddlers, called chapmen, on street corners, or traveling through the countryside. Chapbooks were timeless and were the comic books of their day. They were popular between 1500 and 1700.
Chapbooks were designed for poorer literate classes, and working class readers. A chapbook was printed on a single sheet of low quality paper that was folded to make multiple pages. There were crude wood-cut illustrations. Chapbooks were usually not well-written and were poorly published. There were no covers on the chapbooks, and the print was small. Most were written for adults, but by the 1800s chapbooks for children were being produced.
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