By Chris Robertson
From very hungry caterpillars and penguins for every day of the year to the Kingdom of Frogavia, animals rule in children’s literature. Whether used to teach numbers, colors, or more subtle lessons of morality, animals are the perfect vehicles for conveying tangible and intangible concepts in an entertaining way.
The unique not-quite-human yet not-quite-animal [...]
By Jacob Marshal
Jacqueline Wilson, born Jacqueline Aitken is a British author of children’s books. Her books have topped the bestsellers list in Britain and have won several prestigious awards. Many of her books have also been adapted for television and stage.
Born in Bath, Somerset in 1945, she initially started working in a Dundee-based publishing company, [...]
By Jim Masters
Here’s something to bring a smile (or a grimace) to your face as you contemplate the education of young people around the world. Turkey’s State Education Ministry (under direction of the AKP religious-right government) has negotiated the publication of 100 ‘essential’ children’s literary works of Western Literature - which, while being translated into [...]
By Kevin Woodward
Many people carry the misconception that children’s literature is easy to create. It is often thought that storylines can be much more simplistic than adult fiction, that language can be unelaborated and that characters don’t have to be particularly three-dimensional. And in many ways this is true. Storylines for children’s fiction do not [...]
By Tim Shank
Reading is almost becoming a lost art. Between the video games, children’s DVDs and the endless variety of shows that are geared towards children it’s hard to imagine a time when a child would actually sit down and read a book for enjoyment. It’s kind of a shame, really, because when you read [...]
By Charles Garard
When I was teaching literature and writing courses at a private liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, members of the faculty were asked to prepare a statement justifying the existence of their major programs. Our vice-president at the time (there was an incredible turn-over in presidents and vice-presidents at that college) seemed [...]
By Angel Abdulnor
Board books are often a child’s first introduction to the world of print. Designed with infants and toddlers in mind, these specialty children’s books are chunky, with thick, study pages perfect for a young child’s exploring touch. Like most children’s books, board books are usually labeled with a target age range by the [...]