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A History of Children's Books in 100 Books
A History of Children's Books in 100 Books takes a global perspective and traces the development of the genre from ancient stories, such as Aesop's Fables and the Indian Panchatantra, through the Puritan primers of the 17th century to the Harry Potter series and books as technology.
Taking the approach of its precursor, The History of the Book in 100 Books, this book is about children's books as artifacts, as well as the texts they contain, and the industry and society that produced them. It covers aspects of selection, design, production and marketing of books for children. For the most part, illustrations are key components of children's stories, visualizing fantastic scenes and making them instantly recognizable, and such artwork is beautifully reproduced throughout.
The chapters, with topic examples, are:
1. Oral traditions and pre-literacy; baby's first book; folk tales; nursery rhymes; board books; Sumerian "lullaby" tablet; Dr. Seuss.
2. Fables around the world for the young; Panchatantra (India 200 AD).
3. ABC of Aristotle (Middle English); pop-ups, picture books, early learning; alphabet books.
4. Educational books, non-fiction; adult influence; behavior; The New England Primer.
5. Smaller books for small readers; child protagonists; miniature books; chapter books.
6. Animal Magic; Mother Goose; Charlotte's Web; Beatrix Potter; The Jungle Book; A. A. Milne.
7. Innocence, experience, genre books; imperialism; religion; Little Women; Black Beauty.
8. Fairies and Frighteners: Grimm Brothers; Japanese Fairy Tales; Edward Gorey; Maurice Sendak; Der Strewwelpeter.
9. New genres, adventure stories; pulp fiction; C. S. Lewis; Pippi Longstocking; H. G. Wells.
10. Wartime: Destruction of books; series; awards; Le Petit Prince; Nazi button book; Roald Dahl; Matilda.
11 Comics; new media; Manga; survival manuals; cartoons; advertising; political correctness; awards.
This is an authoritative introduction for general readers, for those interested in illustration arts, and for students of children's literature, its history, and the history of books. It is an essential selection for specialty and general collections.
Taking the approach of its precursor, The History of the Book in 100 Books, this book is about children's books as artifacts, as well as the texts they contain, and the industry and society that produced them. It covers aspects of selection, design, production and marketing of books for children. For the most part, illustrations are key components of children's stories, visualizing fantastic scenes and making them instantly recognizable, and such artwork is beautifully reproduced throughout.
The chapters, with topic examples, are:
1. Oral traditions and pre-literacy; baby's first book; folk tales; nursery rhymes; board books; Sumerian "lullaby" tablet; Dr. Seuss.
2. Fables around the world for the young; Panchatantra (India 200 AD).
3. ABC of Aristotle (Middle English); pop-ups, picture books, early learning; alphabet books.
4. Educational books, non-fiction; adult influence; behavior; The New England Primer.
5. Smaller books for small readers; child protagonists; miniature books; chapter books.
6. Animal Magic; Mother Goose; Charlotte's Web; Beatrix Potter; The Jungle Book; A. A. Milne.
7. Innocence, experience, genre books; imperialism; religion; Little Women; Black Beauty.
8. Fairies and Frighteners: Grimm Brothers; Japanese Fairy Tales; Edward Gorey; Maurice Sendak; Der Strewwelpeter.
9. New genres, adventure stories; pulp fiction; C. S. Lewis; Pippi Longstocking; H. G. Wells.
10. Wartime: Destruction of books; series; awards; Le Petit Prince; Nazi button book; Roald Dahl; Matilda.
11 Comics; new media; Manga; survival manuals; cartoons; advertising; political correctness; awards.
This is an authoritative introduction for general readers, for those interested in illustration arts, and for students of children's literature, its history, and the history of books. It is an essential selection for specialty and general collections.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 31, 2018
This is a lovely, big book with generous amounts of big colour illustrations, which is exactly what I want in a book about books. Lots of interesting children's book facts, I was surprised that after Dorothy Kunhardt's humorously titled Junket is Nice, she made a touchy-feely book in 1940! I thought this was a recent thing. Edible hornbooks-a sort of paddle shaped gingerbread with the alphabet on popular in the 1700s. There are pop up books, books that turn into a mini theatre, books with paper cut out dolls, and the scariest young children's book I have ever seen called The Tribulations of Tommy Tip Top, a cautionary tale about misbehaving, I certainly wouldn't want to see this book at bedtime.
Sadly my copy is from the library, this is the sort of book to flick through and dip into from time to time not one I would read cover to cover. It is wonderful to look through, and nice to spot so many favourites.
Sadly my copy is from the library, this is the sort of book to flick through and dip into from time to time not one I would read cover to cover. It is wonderful to look through, and nice to spot so many favourites.
December 30, 2018
Not what I hoped for. A big coffee-table book with small font, so almost impossible for me to actually read. Nor is there any clarity about what the actual 100 books are or why they're chosen... rather it's just another history of kid-lit, of which inumerable already exist. The bits of text I do squint to make out are boring. Also, it's from a British perspective, which, again, has been done. There's a bit from the Empire, but it's not truly international, which would be best, or American, which would make it more palatable to me.
Otoh, I do have books and illustrators to investigate, and I may be adding significantly to my TBR.
"The Life of a Bold AB on His Ship in the Rolling C" by Will Kidd
Frederick Warne aka Frederick Warne & Co for illustration
Dr. Seuss' "Midnight Paintings" are actual fine art...
I must remember to recommend the Panchatantra in the Children's Books group. I wish we could find a modern edition, beautifully illustrated, of stories from that tradition in every library, instead of more and more Aesop.
The Bird Talisman as ill. by Henry Allen Wedgwood is another lost story from an eastern tradition.
Other illustrators that intrigue me include L.M. Glazier and Raphael Tuck aka Raphael Tuck and Sons and Alhaji Abubakar Imam
I also want to investigate The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat aka "Captain" Marryat, The Rose and the Ring, The Boy Who Drew Cats and Other Japanese Fairy Tales, and The King of the Golden River, all of which seem vaguely familiar to me but insufficiently so.
Barry Moser's art for Alice in Wonderland is probably worth a look. He did also reinsert an episode Tenniel caused to be left out, about a Wasp.
Welp, at a relatively easy $29.95, this heavy epic will be snatched up by libraries. Too bad, imo. I'd rather they invested in some of the source material, even if only by repairing books that, instead, they're weeding. (I opine that older children's books could be shelved protectively and kept out-of-the-way for scholars and nostalgic adults.)
Otoh, I do have books and illustrators to investigate, and I may be adding significantly to my TBR.
"The Life of a Bold AB on His Ship in the Rolling C" by Will Kidd
Frederick Warne aka Frederick Warne & Co for illustration
Dr. Seuss' "Midnight Paintings" are actual fine art...
I must remember to recommend the Panchatantra in the Children's Books group. I wish we could find a modern edition, beautifully illustrated, of stories from that tradition in every library, instead of more and more Aesop.
The Bird Talisman as ill. by Henry Allen Wedgwood is another lost story from an eastern tradition.
Other illustrators that intrigue me include L.M. Glazier and Raphael Tuck aka Raphael Tuck and Sons and Alhaji Abubakar Imam
I also want to investigate The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat aka "Captain" Marryat, The Rose and the Ring, The Boy Who Drew Cats and Other Japanese Fairy Tales, and The King of the Golden River, all of which seem vaguely familiar to me but insufficiently so.
Barry Moser's art for Alice in Wonderland is probably worth a look. He did also reinsert an episode Tenniel caused to be left out, about a Wasp.
Welp, at a relatively easy $29.95, this heavy epic will be snatched up by libraries. Too bad, imo. I'd rather they invested in some of the source material, even if only by repairing books that, instead, they're weeding. (I opine that older children's books could be shelved protectively and kept out-of-the-way for scholars and nostalgic adults.)
February 18, 2025
Learned a good bit from this one!
May 15, 2022
Not very good and a misleading title in my opinion! Strangely organized, this book presented various types of children literatures, but more in some type of arbitral classification, instead of a more chronological one, which I would have prefer. Instead it presented some sort of top 100 more influential work from the author perspective. An okay coffee table book, but not as instructive or engaging as I thought it would be. I wouldn't recommend it.
April 14, 2018
A gluttonous feast for anyone interested in how books for children have grown and changed throughout the years. The kind of book that begs to be set in the floor and flipped through as you rest on your stomach and elbows.
June 14, 2018
I was disappointed by this. The narrative was choppy and disconnected. The book itself is lovely, but the title is misleading, since each of the 100 books is supported by descriptions of it's predecessors and successors which brings the number of books covered closer to 1000. A scholarly compendium, rather than a fun read.
January 9, 2022
A must read for anyone who’s fascinated by the origins, history and continuing development of children’s literature. I was thrilled when I noticed this title in the British Library collection.
The writing was, at times, a little dry. I guess this isn’t uncommon for a historical study and it maybe sounds unfair but I expected more zeal for a subject that, for me, is pure magic. I was impressed by the depth of the study and the references provided. I was also impressed by the in depth analysis of the texts, not just their content but right down to their design and construction. I found publishing trends and marketing strategies really fascinating - I didn’t expect to be so fascinated by this.
I thought the book was fair to the texts, showing them in their true context. Trends change. Opinions change. We as people and as readers change with the times. It’s fascinating to see which stories hold on and won’t let go (sometimes still fascinating readers and still in publication many years later), and, then, which others we soon cast aside and forget. And, ultimately, ask - what makes certain children’s books so popular with readers?
Not a quick read, it’s a book to study. But worth it. I’m glad I read it fully. I feel I know so much more, I look at some books in a completely different light and it provided plenty of references for future research (if I feel inclined).
The writing was, at times, a little dry. I guess this isn’t uncommon for a historical study and it maybe sounds unfair but I expected more zeal for a subject that, for me, is pure magic. I was impressed by the depth of the study and the references provided. I was also impressed by the in depth analysis of the texts, not just their content but right down to their design and construction. I found publishing trends and marketing strategies really fascinating - I didn’t expect to be so fascinated by this.
I thought the book was fair to the texts, showing them in their true context. Trends change. Opinions change. We as people and as readers change with the times. It’s fascinating to see which stories hold on and won’t let go (sometimes still fascinating readers and still in publication many years later), and, then, which others we soon cast aside and forget. And, ultimately, ask - what makes certain children’s books so popular with readers?
Not a quick read, it’s a book to study. But worth it. I’m glad I read it fully. I feel I know so much more, I look at some books in a completely different light and it provided plenty of references for future research (if I feel inclined).
September 10, 2018
This is a very comprehensive, almost academic look at the history and trends in children's books and the publishing industry that has sprouted up around them. Because it's written from a British standpoint, there were a lot of books I've never heard of and will be checking out soon. I really enjoyed this book and the only complaint is the size, since it doesn't lend to holding. I had to read it while eating at the table, which slowed my progress immensely, but I honestly don't see how that could be avoided. Without the size, the reader would lose out on all the wonderful images. It's displayed and formatted with such attention to detail, it's delightful. I really loved how they structured it too.
October 26, 2019
A great book on - like the title says - children's books. From ABC's to adventure books and comics, this book covers the whole variety of the history of children's literature. The authors selected their choices carefully and clearly put a lot of effort in research. I admire how they tell so much in comparatively little space.
The book is greatly designed (it's big!) with lots of pictures to get a very good idea of what the books described looked like. The book is originally British, but I think the text is not just translated but rather transferred to German in my edition. One of my best buys this year!
The book is greatly designed (it's big!) with lots of pictures to get a very good idea of what the books described looked like. The book is originally British, but I think the text is not just translated but rather transferred to German in my edition. One of my best buys this year!
March 19, 2018
A fascinating read. Just a pity there weren't more books from other cultures.
Want to Read
July 28, 2018WORLD comments here.
January 14, 2019
Lovely illustrations
February 28, 2026
Very interesting (the Nazis banned Bambi, TIL) with a definite and overt focus on British writing.
April 6, 2026
Brief thoughts originally published 6 April 2026 at Falling Letters.
IIRC, this coffee table book caught my eye at ALA Midwinter 2018 and I put it on my Christmas wishlist. I should have taken a closer look at it, though, as the book turned out to be nothing I expected.
To start, the organization feels random. It’s not entirely chronologically organized, which feels awkward as it’s sort of chronological? But then it jumps around, back and forth, without explaining how the timeline relates to the other sections. For example, the last two sections are about The Very Hungry Caterpillar and board books, followed by The Girl’s Own Book (1860s). It’s disjointed with some repetition between sections. It reads like each little section was written wholly independent of the others, with no editiorial attempt at making them fit together in book-format.
And then the content itself was a great disappointment. I expected more on literature, on storytelling. But it’s mostly about physical formats, ways of teaching children reading and morals, and philosophical approaches to child development. It’s heavy on historical content and publishing history, with little on stories. The book just barely makes it to the 1920s (with 3/100 sections covering works published in the later 1900s). I expected maybe 20% of the content to cover pre-1920s, with the main focus being on the wealth of children’s literature published since then. I suppose this is on me for not inspecting the book closely enough. I too strongly equated “children’s books” with “children’s literature”.
If I had inspected the book a little more closely, I would also have realized “100 books” is loosely defined. In fact, I have no idea which titles are meant to make up the 100 books. I thought the authors would explore a certain type of literature in each section, focusing on one exemplar book to make up the list of 100. Nope. Good luck trying to figure out what the “100” books are.
My original note while reading: “What the heck is this about… it’s all over the place, the subjects and timeline are practically random, there’s not enough info about any of the points being made, it’s not actually 100 exemplar books, there seem to be a lot of random claims about topics that have little to do with child readers… nice images I guess??”
---> I shall allow one positive comment to say the images were fun to browse, like walking through a little museum.
Overall, the book gave me bathroom reader vibes but that’s not practical given its coffee table size.
💭 The Bottom Line:I’m not sure who this book for. Probably not someone interested in chidlren’s literature (as defined as fictional stories). Maybe for someone interested in historical book formats?
IIRC, this coffee table book caught my eye at ALA Midwinter 2018 and I put it on my Christmas wishlist. I should have taken a closer look at it, though, as the book turned out to be nothing I expected.
To start, the organization feels random. It’s not entirely chronologically organized, which feels awkward as it’s sort of chronological? But then it jumps around, back and forth, without explaining how the timeline relates to the other sections. For example, the last two sections are about The Very Hungry Caterpillar and board books, followed by The Girl’s Own Book (1860s). It’s disjointed with some repetition between sections. It reads like each little section was written wholly independent of the others, with no editiorial attempt at making them fit together in book-format.
And then the content itself was a great disappointment. I expected more on literature, on storytelling. But it’s mostly about physical formats, ways of teaching children reading and morals, and philosophical approaches to child development. It’s heavy on historical content and publishing history, with little on stories. The book just barely makes it to the 1920s (with 3/100 sections covering works published in the later 1900s). I expected maybe 20% of the content to cover pre-1920s, with the main focus being on the wealth of children’s literature published since then. I suppose this is on me for not inspecting the book closely enough. I too strongly equated “children’s books” with “children’s literature”.
If I had inspected the book a little more closely, I would also have realized “100 books” is loosely defined. In fact, I have no idea which titles are meant to make up the 100 books. I thought the authors would explore a certain type of literature in each section, focusing on one exemplar book to make up the list of 100. Nope. Good luck trying to figure out what the “100” books are.
My original note while reading: “What the heck is this about… it’s all over the place, the subjects and timeline are practically random, there’s not enough info about any of the points being made, it’s not actually 100 exemplar books, there seem to be a lot of random claims about topics that have little to do with child readers… nice images I guess??”
---> I shall allow one positive comment to say the images were fun to browse, like walking through a little museum.
Overall, the book gave me bathroom reader vibes but that’s not practical given its coffee table size.
💭 The Bottom Line:I’m not sure who this book for. Probably not someone interested in chidlren’s literature (as defined as fictional stories). Maybe for someone interested in historical book formats?
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February 22, 2018002.08309 C378 2017
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews