Children’s Books: Then and Now

When asked, the most popular and well-remembered picture books among my Gen-Z and Millennial peers were Possum Magic, Where is the Green Sheep, and The Rainbow Fish. These books were excellent sources of entertainment and joy from when we were kids. But, when we look back in time, where did picture books start?

The Orbis Sensualium Pictus is the oldest picture book on record. It was published in 1658 before the development of mass colour printing, like chromolithography (multi-colour stone printing). A spokesperson from The Library of South Australia tells me that the Orbis Sensualium Pictus “...would have been meant for children of wealthier families as the literacy among working people was not high”.

So, when did picture books go from textbooks, like the Orbis Sensualium Pictus, to the books of entertainment we know and love today? There’s four hundred years of history here, but I'm delighted to share the basics. 

We’ve all heard of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson. Most people know of Little Golden Books, but some of the earliest picture books come from Japan. Kibyōshi were arguably not kids books, but considered to be the precursor to manga. 

From the 19th century, books changed from manuals and textbooks on religious scripture and manners, to more entertaining works built for subtly enforcing morals. This occurred mostly because society began to see childhood as a joyful time of life, rather than a phase of training for adulthood, leading to demand for fun stories. Though, I would not say the original Brothers Grimm stories were fun … they definitely had morals. 

The Brothers Grimm are an excellent example of how picture books evolved from manuals to stories. There was an era in the middle, roughly 1812-1860, where books were entertaining but not necessarily joyful. There weren’t many happy endings in the fairytales by the Brothers Grimm. 

Toy books then became popular during the Victorian era. Routledge and Warne are considered to be the first who successfully published and sold Toy Books en masse. Toy Books included little gifts, such as pin cushions for girls and lead soldiers, or spinning tops for boys. The books included rhymes with illustrations that were usually unattributed, which hurts my artistic heart. 

Beatrix Potter then published The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1901. I could say the rest is history, but there’s still a surprising amount of change to come. See, The Tale of Peter Rabbit was still a novella — the 1902 edition had 97 pages in it! To contrast, Possum Magic has 32. 

The first 12 Little Golden Books, including The Little Red Hen illustrated by Rudolf Freund, were published in 1942. In 1944, Disney partnered with Little Golden Books, and here I feel I can safely say we come to know modern picture books as they are now.

Of course, we can’t forget the evolution of Australian Children’s books. The first children's book published in Australia was A Mother's Offering to Her Children, printed in Sydney in 1841, first attributed to “a lady, long resident in New South Wales”. In 1913, May Gibbs began illustrating for Australian books and cartoons. In 1918, Gibbs published Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, some of the earliest Australian published kids books.

The beloved Grug was first published in 1979, a picture book series both my parents and I have enjoyed over its long life. Written and illustrated by Ted Prior, dozens of Grug books were published through the 1980’s and early 1990’s. Grug is an excellent example of how children’s books have taken a drastic turn towards entertainment, while still maintaining a pattern of moral and ethical messages. 

Today, reading still provides important moral lessons, even if they aren’t quite as gruesome. Anna, a spokesperson for Australia Reads tells us that, “Our early experiences shape how we engage with books and reading throughout our lives. Those who are read to are more likely to choose to read later in life, and reading for pleasure is internationally acknowledged as an important indicator on the future success of a child”. 

Picture books for children are no longer textbooks or directories, but they still provide valuable life lessons for kids and I, for one, much prefer my fairy tales when the Little Mermaid doesn’t turn into sea foam.

An original copy of the Orbis Sensualium Pictus resides in The Library of South Australia, in a climate controlled environment, away from direct light and moisture. You can see the digital collection here, https://digital.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/nodes/view/2177