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 Comparing Book and Movie Versions of a Classic
Read one of the children’s 
classics and list the elements of the story that might have attracted children in the nineteenth 
century. Most of the classics have been made into movies (some several times). View a video 
of the story and compare it to the book. Make a Venn diagram (see Chapter 12 , Figure 12.4 ) 
showing the similarities and differences. Determine whether the book or the movie would be 
most appealing to children today, and explain why.
Because of their age, all the classic books are in the public domain , meaning they 
are not protected by copyright laws. Therefore, be cautious when you check them 
out of the library or purchase them because there are many poorly adapted or con-
densed editions on the market. However, the full texts of these classics are accessible 
online for viewing or downloading at www.gutenberg.org .
B
ook Illustrations 
The development of illustrated books for children is also an interesting story. Chil-
dren’s books were usually illustrated with crude woodcuts, if at all, until Sir John 
Tenniel delightfully illustrated Alice in pen and ink in 1865. That same year, a talented 
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C H A P T E R 1 :
Introduction to the World of Children’s Literature

7
English printer named Edmund Evans perfected the photographic engraving pro-
cess and solicited gifted artists to create the first colored illustrations for children’s 
books. Among the artists he encouraged and supported were Walter Crane, Ran-
dolph Caldecott, and Kate Greenaway. The types of books they illustrated included 
traditional literature, verse, and alphabet books. As you can imagine, Evans’s beauti-
ful books were tremendously popular, and they ushered in the modern era of color 
illustrations in children’s books, something we take for granted today. 
Kate Greenaway was perhaps the most popular of the three artists, judging by the 
sheer volume of books sold. Her scenes of happy children in peaceful landscapes charmed 
the public. (See her illustration at the beginning of Chapter 2 .) Greenaway was so popu-
lar that dressmakers began styling children’s clothing to emulate the dress of the children 
in her pictures. However, Randolph Caldecott, with his unique way of depicting humor 
and lively characters in action, is often recognized as the most talented of the three artists. 
The nineteenth century produced some lovely illustrated books; however, the 
pictures served only as decorations. The modern picture storybook did not emerge 
until the beginning of the twentieth century in England. Six publishers rejected Bea-
trix Potter’s manuscript of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, but she was determined to 
see her illustrated story made into “a little book for little hands.” In 1901 Potter 
withdrew her own savings of 11 pounds and printed 450 copies of the book, which 
became the prototype of modern picture storybooks. One of the unique qualities of 
this book was created when Potter matched her illustrations with the text, using the 
pictures to share in the storytelling process. You probably remember the main char-
acter, Peter, the errant young rabbit who—against his mother’s admonition—goes to 
eat in Mr. McGregor’s garden and is nearly caught and eaten himself. 
The copies Potter had printed quickly sold and gained the attention of Frederick 
Warne and Company, who published the second and many subsequent printings. In 
Peter Rabbit, and in her twenty-two other books that followed, Potter used clear wa-
tercolors to illustrate woodland animals dressed as ordinary country folk. Her union 
of enchanting stories with expertly drawn pictures became models for the authors 
and illustrators of the numerous picture storybooks that followed.
Responding to Literature