The Enormous Egg

The development of children’s literature can largely be traced to the 18th century, when changing philosophies began to better acknowledge the distinction between childhood and adulthood. In crediting childhood as a unique stage of life, writers could tailor their works to better engage children’s attention. Most of these early texts were instructional, relying on children’s aptitude for play, rather than fear, to introduce formative concepts (Fleming, Patrick C. “The Rise of the Moral Tale: Children’s Literature, the Novel, and ‘The Governess.’” Eighteenth-Century Studies, vol. 46, no. 4, 2013, pp. 463-77). For instance, John Newbery’s A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, published in 1744, is commonly credited as the first children’s book. Its rhymes and pictures illustrated basic letters of the alphabet, while its simple games reinforced positive behavior. 

However, though groundbreaking in its approach to children’s entertainment, A Little Pretty Pocket-Book was still primarily intended to impart a lesson in manners. It wasn’t until the beginning of literature’s Romantic Era in the 19th century that literature directly engaged with children’s capacity for imagination (Pinkerton, Byrd. “Through The Looking Glass: How Children’s Books Have Grown Up.” NPR, 10 May 2016). A significant example is Lewis B. Carroll’s 1865 fantasy novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.