A History of Children's Literature

6 credits · Undergraduate

(3 hrs Lecture) This course covers the history of children's literature from Sumerian clay 'readers' to the present day, with a focus on texts published before the mid-twentieth century. Topics include the shift of myths, fairy tales, and fables from oral to literary tradition; literary forms associated specifically with children, such as nursery rhymes and fantasy; the development of early picture books featuring woodcuts; and increased commodification of picture books that came with the advent of lithography. Students study the nineteenth- and twentieth-century rise of children as consumers, and changing notions of childhood such as the development of the concept of childhood innocence. Requisite Courses: 6 credit hours of First-year English, including ENGL-1001(6) or ENGL-1000(3) [prerequisite(s)].