Scope:
It’s my intention to research the evolution of children’s books, from oral folk stores of the early centuries to today’s Hungry Little Caterpillar. As well as researching the physical changes I indeed to look into the content of these stories and how the socioeconomic environment influenced purchases and styles
Outline:
Within my Blogs I want to explore the first form of children’s stories which was mostly passed on orally and originating in folklore. I will also investigate the first type of books intended for children and explore how they differ in purpose to the picture books we have today. Prior to the mid-eighteenth century books were rarely created specifically for children, and children's reading was generally confined to literature intended for their education and moral edification rather than for their amusement.
Exploring the stories themselves, I’m researching the difference between what was appropriate then and what people demand now and how today’s society demands rewrites of classic children’s books because it is not ‘politically correct’ (Enid Blyton). I will also look into popular series of a few generations ago using accounts from my grandparents and parents as well people from different generations to discover how tastes and wants of children and parents have changed over the years. This oral history is very important because there are factors that influence styles and spread of the children book, for example the rise of comics for children was extremely popular because of their price; in comparison comics were affordable and available to the masses while books were in school and libraries that not everyone had access to. Likewise world events such as war limited publications. I think my research will take me into the merging of new styles of books including popup books, cloth books and board books to the majority of books we use today. Another factor is that a lot of early children’s books were not books actually written FOR children but the tales are loved so much that they are now primarily children’s tales, such as Robin Hood. Children's literature today is comparable to popular adult literature in its range and diversity of genres, with books designed for readers at every stage of development, from infancy to young adulthood. The continued vitality of children's publishing of the illustrated storybook, while competing with a host of newer media, remains unparalleled in its ability to nurture the imagination and to provide both instruction and delight. There are so many aspects to this subject that I find fascinating and I can’t wait to delve deeper into it and see what I discover.
