1. Children’s Literature
Part 2 of Children’s Literature History
Report by: Alisha Ann T. Plata

2. Puritan Period
In England and America, books
for children were influenced by Puritan
ideas. The books stressed fear of God,
religious instruction and preparations for
death which the children did don’t enjoy.
Children reads books that interest them
although the books were for adults like
John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress
(1678), Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusue
(1714, Jonathan swift’s Gullever’s
Travels (1726), Mallory’s Death of King
Arthur, Reynard the Fox, and Aesop’s

3. Between 1638 and 1691, the
New England Primer, a book made
especially for the children of the
American colonies appeared. It was a
small book, about 3 by 4 ½ inches and
had about 100 pages, It contained the
alphabet, words and syllables in
spelling lessons, the Lord’s Prayer,
catechism, hymns and verses, rhymes
for each letter of the alphabet

5. First Picture Book
In 1658, the first illustrated school
book appeared. It was known as the
Orbis Sensualum or Orbis Pictus (The
World Of Pictures). It as invenbted by
Johann Amos Comenius, Bishop of
Moravia and an educator who believed in
teaching children by letting them see
things with their own eyes. The book was
originally written in Latin and German,
but was later translated by Charles
Hooke in England in 1664.

7. 17th and 18th Century Books
Books in the seventeenth
century stressed religion and morals
due to the rise of Protestantism. In
1715, Dr Isaac Watts published Divine
and Moral Songs for Children, a
companion volume to New England
Primer. Some writers consider Isaac
Watts as the starting point of children’s
literature and The Cradle Hymns as
the First children’s poem.

8. The battledore (1746-1770)
succeed the hornbook. It was 4 by 6 ½
three-leaved cardboard that folded like
a pocketbook. It had the alphabet and
easy-reading matter that made it
popular until 1840.

9. Cradle Hymn
See the lovely babe a-dressing;
Lovely infant, how He smiled!
When He wept, the mother's blessing
Soothed and hushed the holy child.
Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber;
Holy angels guard thy bed;
Heavenly blessings without number
Gently falling on thy head.
Lo, He slumbers in His manger,
Where the honest oxen fed;
--Peace, my darling! here's no danger!
Here's no ox a-near thy bed!
Sleep, my babe, thy food and raiment,
House and home, thy friends provide;
All without thy care, or payment,
All thy wants are well supplied.
Mayst thou live to know and fear Him,
Trust and love Him all thy days;
Then go dwell forever near Him,
See His face, and sing His praise!
How much better thou'rt attended
Than the Son of God could be,
When from heaven He descended,
And became a child like thee!
Soft and easy is thy cradle;
Coarse and hard thy Saviour lay,
When His birthplace was a stable,
And His softest bed was hay.
See the kindly shepherds round him,
Telling wonders from the sky!
When they sought Him, there they
found Him,
With his Virgin-Mother by.
I could give thee thousand kisses,
Hoping what I most desire;
Not a mother's fondest wishes
Can to greater joys aspire.

Isaac Watts

10. John Newberry Era

John Newberry (1713-1767) was a
writer and publisher who first thought
of publishing books solely for children.
He was called the “father of children’s
literature” for conceived the idea of
publishing books for the enjoyment
and entertainment of children.

11. 
In 1744, he published his Little Pretty
Pocket Book, the first book that can
be truly called a child’s book. He also
published a collection of nursery
rhymes and called Mother Goose
Melody. An Award for the distinguish
children’s book.-The Newbery Awardwas named after him in 1922.

13. The Didactic Period

Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
was a French philosopher who started
a new philosophy in the education of
children. His Book Emile embodied
the philosophy tat children be given
freedom to develop their natural
interest and learn from actual
experience. He Advocated that
children be taught about real things.