HISTORY OF

CHILDREN’S
LITERATURE
MODULE 3
 Lerer (2008) Children’s literature began with the
greeks and romans, who valued reciting poetry
and drama.
 Children listened to Aesop’s fables and other
adult texts.
 Children also heard lullabies that became
familiar as the family structured developed.
 There was also print material that consisted of
primers and prayer books that also contained
alphabet instruction.
 Books on manners
and morals began to
appear in England by
1430. One of these
was William Caxton’s
BOKE OF
CURTAYSE
published on 1477.
 The Babies Boke with
the subtitle MANNERS
AND MEALS IN THE
OLDEN TIMES.
 A book that contains
rules of behavior for
boys who trained to
become knights during
the Age of Chivalry.
 Sixteen Century, ABC BOOKS
OR PRIMERS appeared. They
were so called because they were
used at the hour of prime as a
book of private devotions in the
Anglican Church.
 Henry Vill had ordered the
painting of both catholic and
protestant primers that contained
the alphabet and christians
principles.
 The HORNBOOKS were the first
books designed for children to
handle. They were about 3 by 4
1/2 inches long and 2 inches
wide.
 The Lord’s prayer was printed at
the bottom. The paper used for
this was covered with a
transparent horn- hence the
name “hornbook” and was held
in place by metals like silver,
brass and copper.
 These could be hung around the
necks of children.
 In 1697, Charles
Perrault published his
collection of tales
entitled Comtes de Ma
Mere L’oye or Tales of
My Mother Goose.
 These books were
called CHAPBOOKS
because they were sold
by itinerant peddlers
called chapmen.
 The books stressed fear
of God, religious
instruction and
preparation for death
which the children did not
enjoy.
 Children read books that
interests them like Daniel
Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe
(1714), Jonathan Swift’s
Gulliver’s Travel and
Aesops Fables.
THE NEW ENGLAND
PRIMER
 A book made especially
for the children of the
American colonies
appeared.
 It contained the Alphabet,
words and syllables for
spelling lessons, the
Lord’s Prayer, catechism,
hymns, and verses,
rhymes for each letter of
the Alphabet.
 In 1658, the first illustrated
school book as ORBIS
SENSUALUM OR ORBIS
PICTUS (The World in
Pictures).

 It was invented by
Johann Amos Comenius,
an educator who believed
in teaching children by
letting them see things
with their own eyes.
 In 1715, Dr. Isaac Watts
published DIVINE AND
MORAL SONGS FOR
CHILDREN, a
companion volume to
the New England
Primer.Isaac Watts
serves as the starting
point at the history of
children’s literature.
 John Newberry was
called the “FATHER OF
CHILDREN’S
LITERATURE” for he
conceived the idea of
publishing books for the
enjoyment and
entertainment of children.
 Jean Jacques Rousseau’s book
EMILE embodied the
philosophy that children be
given freedom to develop their
natural interests and learn from
actual experience.

 He advocated that children

be taught about the real
things and the world in
which they live.