Children Weren’t Allowed!

I wish you could see the way eyes light up when I offer to read a book. My children gleefully run to select their favorite titles (my strategists pick the longest), and we sit together and let time slow down as I read aloud. Life is awfully busy, but even a short reading break re-centers us all. And it’s easy for them to choose a book they love. My home library shelves are bursting with beautiful, colorful picture books, early readers, and middle grade chapter books.

Today, the wealth of literature meant for children’s education and enjoyment is vast. But prior to the 1650s, it just didn’t exist. To be fair, printed books were a fruit of the renaissance, and still relatively new when the advent of books for children took place. Still, there was a gap between the advent of books for adults and the first children’s books.

Worldwide oral tradition had been the order of things, with Aesop’s Fables and fables and folk tales still enduring to this day. There had been a few printed texts, such as the ancient Egyptian “The Instruction of Ptahhotep” or “The Catechism,” which were used for children, but these were instructional materials, not stories.

In 1658, John Amos Comenius published a book of words and pictures called “Orbis Sensualium Pictus.” Or, in English, “The Visible World in Pictures.” He was onto something, but the children’s book movement didn’t gain real momentum until 1693 when philosopher John Locke argued that children should have age-appropriate reading materials that combined instruction with pleasure in his work Some Thoughts Concerning Education. After this, books for children began to slowly trickle through the printing presses.

From “Orbis Sensualium Pictus”

The first “best-seller” for children “A Pretty Little Pocket Book” by John Newberry had good commercial success. It had stories, rhymes, and games, reflecting Newberry’s belief in combining education and entertainment.

A Pretty Little Pocket Book rhyme

By the 19th century, children's literature flourished, with authors like the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Lewis Carroll crafting stories that still enchant readers today. These books, written specifically for children, marked the true establishment of children's literature as a dedicated genre.

And the rest, as they say, is history. Beautiful, colorful history that lives on our bookshelves, in our libraries, schools, and stores, varied and rich and dazzling. And the more I think about how recent an invention the children’s book is, the more I am filled with gratitude to have easy access to so many of the best of them.

Here at White Lake Press, we are thankful to the pioneers of children’s literature who invented, grew, and shaped this genre we participate in. It’s a privilege to hold a book in your hands, a gift to read one to a child.

If you can today, take a moment to read with a child, snuggled together, or over phone or video call. Let time slow down a bit, watch the eyes light up, enjoy the connection of sharing a story and delighting in illustrations together. And please, share with us how it goes.

For now, I’m off to do the same.

Warm Regards,

Miriam Monette

Founder, White Lake Press