Having
grown up reading Dr. Seuss, Curious George, Golden Books,
and other wonderfully illustrated and written children’s books, I just assumed
it was always like this for kids. But in
truth, the phenomenon of great children’s books is a more recent invention, considering the nearly six-century literary tradition of book publishing in
America. To get a sense of the growth of
children’s books, you may enjoy 100 Years of Children’s Book Week Posters:
Celebrating Great Illustrators of American Children’s Books, by Leonard S.
Marcus (sponsored by The Children’s Book Council and Every Child A Reader).
The
book is more of a homage to how children’s book publishing -- and the
encouragement of reading by kids has evolved over the last century.
In 1919, Macmillan became the world’s first publisher to open an editorial department dedicated solely to the production of high-quality books for young readers. That same year, from November 10-15, 1919, Children’s Book Week launched as a national event.
In 1919, Macmillan became the world’s first publisher to open an editorial department dedicated solely to the production of high-quality books for young readers. That same year, from November 10-15, 1919, Children’s Book Week launched as a national event.
However,
it wasn’t until 1973 that a half-dozen children’s bookstores existed in the U.S. A decade later, the number jumped to 200 and ten years later, the number
doubled to 400. The total sales of children’s books in 1985 was $475 million
but just six years later it more than doubled, crossing a billion dollars
annually. No doubt, the book industry
knows how valuable children’s books are – for two reasons.
First, they are virtually digital-proof and provide lots of print sales, which gets parents and caretakers into bookstores where they may buy books for themselves as well. Second, if we don’t encourage the reading of books at an early age, we’ll find a generation of adults who don’t view books as something fun or necessary or useful.
First, they are virtually digital-proof and provide lots of print sales, which gets parents and caretakers into bookstores where they may buy books for themselves as well. Second, if we don’t encourage the reading of books at an early age, we’ll find a generation of adults who don’t view books as something fun or necessary or useful.
But
what should children’s books aim to do?
Early on, publishers thought books needed to inculcate strong morals in our children. Later, the shift in mindset was that books should help kids explore their imagination. Now it might be both, with a priority on making children literate and lovers of the book.
Early on, publishers thought books needed to inculcate strong morals in our children. Later, the shift in mindset was that books should help kids explore their imagination. Now it might be both, with a priority on making children literate and lovers of the book.
Marcus
noted how “In 1906, the Brooklyn Public Library’s Clara Whitehill Hunt had
spoken for many when she asserted that the chief aim in the education of the
child…is the moral aim. We claim the
children’s library the possibility the duty of being a moral once in the
community.” Each book that a child read,
Hunt argued, had the power to leave a lasting imprint for good or ill on the
reader’s soul. The stakes for both
America’s young people and their gatekeepers could not be higher. One generation later, librarians had come to
a very different view, and thought less often about molding souls than they did
about nurturing imaginations.”
The
book features scores of posters that were put out each year to promote
Children’s Book Week. The 100th anniversary will be celebrated
November 4-10 this year. For more
information, check out https://everychildareader.net/.
When
you study the posters featured in the book, you see some interesting slogans:
·
More
books in the home!
·
After
all – there is nothing like a good book!
·
Grow
up with books: add a shelf for every year
·
Ride
the book trail to knowledge and adventure.
·
Reading
for Fun
·
Books
to grow on
·
New
books – new worlds
·
Reading: The magic highway to adventure
·
Good
books, good friends
·
Forward
with books
·
Build
the future with books
·
United
through books
·
Books
are bridges
·
Books
for the world of tomorrow
·
Books
tell the story
·
Make
friends with books
·
New
horizons with books
·
Reading
is fun
·
It’s
always book time
·
Go
exploring in books
·
Go
places with books
·
New
horizons with books
·
Reading
is fun
·
It’s
always book time
·
Go
exploring in books
·
Go
places with books
·
Book
power
·
Books
now! Books wow!
·
Live! Read!
·
Curious?
Read
·
Anytime,
anyplace, any book
·
Get
lost in a book
·
Good
books, good times
·
Reach
for a book
·
The
world is an open book
·
Books
for everyone, everyone for books
·
Anytime
is book time
·
Rise
up reading
·
One
world, many stories
Interestingly,
none of the posters depicted an e-reader.
The focus is always on reading for fun, exploration, and imagination. However, I didn’t see a poster that highlighted the
benefits of reading: knowledge, skills,
empowerment. The posters are always
colorful and inviting – and they always show a child or cartoon character
reading, holding a book, or bonding through reading. Maybe a slogan involving connections would be
useful, and can serve as a play on words for the social media savvy.
We
must all support the ecosystem of reading for children. More libraries, indie bookstores, parents
engaging children at home, and school teachers encouraging your readers is the
formula for a better world.
“You must be the
change you wish to see in the world.”
--Gandhi
“Everyone things of
changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
--Leo
Tolstoy
“Let us never negotiate
out of fear. But let us never fear to
negotiate.”
--John
F. Kennedy
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