Religious Texts and Folk Tales as Early Children’s Lit?

Before the 16th century, there were no books for children. Children learned to read and then read religious texts or books written for adults. There was no real distinction between writing for children and writing for adults because there was no need for such a distinction. The earliest books that could be conceivably written for children were concerning religion or were collections of traditionally oral folk and fairy tales.

While not expressly written for children, as these stories were also thought to be of interest to the elderly, in 1634 the Pentamerone, a collection of folktales from all over Europe, was written by Italian poet Giambattista Basile. The Pentamerone, or The Tale of Tales, contains the earliest known versions of both “Cinderella” and “Rapunzel,” two fairy tales that have endured and thrived in present time with some help from Disney.

Sixty years later Charles Perrault would also publish fairy tales in French, though they were not as acclaimed by readers and critics of his time as Basile’s tales. However, his stories too have managed to survive the evolution of popular culture. He was a major inspiration for the Brothers Grimm and his stories, mixtures of his own imagination and existing folk tales, include Puss in Boots, Little Red Riding Hood, and Sleeping Beauty.

When writers eventually did turn to writing books solely for children, entertainment was not even a consideration. Books for children were written with the express purpose to instruct and educate them on some aspect of moral or social life. Small chapbooks were created to teach children specific prayers or parables. Hornbooks were created for the same purpose.

Puritan John Cotton wrote one of these early books in 1656 called Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes, making this early catechism the first children’s book published in America. The catechism contained 64 important questions and answers regarding the proper way to live and behave in order to not anger God. This book was considerably shorter than the 100 question catechisms being written for adults at the time. The book was published in both Boston and England and was eventually absorbed into The New England Primer—America’s first text book—which remained popular and in use through the nineteenth century.