CHILDRENS LITERATURE
or JUVENILE
LITERATURE includes
stories, books, and poems that are
enjoyed by children. Modern children's
literature is classified in two different
ways: genre or the intended age of the
reader.
One can trace children's literature back
to stories and songs, part of a
wider oral tradition, that adults shared
with children before publishing existed.
The development of early children's
literature, before printing was invented,
is difficult to trace.
It can be broadly defined as anything
that
children
read[2] or
more
specifically
defined
as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama intended for
and used by children and young people
"all
books
written
for
children,
excluding works such as comic books,
joke
books, cartoon
books,
and
nonfiction works that are not intended
to be read from front to back, such as
dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other
reference materials"
Classification by Genre
PICTURE BOOKS,- including concept
books
that
teach
the alphabet or counting for example,
pattern books, and wordless books.
TRADITIONAL LITERATURE, including
folktales, which convey the legends,
customs, superstitions, and beliefs of
people in previous civilizations. This
genre can be further broken into
subgenres:
myths, fables, legends,
and fairy tales
FICTION,
including fantasy, realistic
fiction, and historical fiction
appreciate the occasional
found in chapter books.
drawings
Demands an equal understanding of
the field of childrens literature.
Non Fiction
Early children's books, such as Orbis
Pictus, were illustrated by woodcut, and
many times the same image was
repeated in a number of books
regardless of how appropriate the
illustration was for the story. Newer
processes,
including
copper
and
steel engraving were first used in the
1830s.
One
of
the
first
uses
of Chromolithography (a way of making
multi-colored prints) in a children's
book
was
demonstrated
in Struwwelpeter,
published
in
Germany
in
1845.
English
illustrator Walter Crane refined its use
in children's books in the late 1800s.
A teacher must have an
understanding of children-their needs,
desires,
thoughts,
interest,
and
abilities. The teacher must know when
to give books, a story or a poem to a
child or to the group of children
according
to
the
degree
of
understanding of which a child or group
is capable of. The ability to understand
is the result of intelligence, of
experience, and the environment
Biography and Autobiography
Poetry and Verse
Classification by Category
PICTURE BOOKS,- appropriate for prereaders or children ages 05.
EARLY READER, books, appropriate for
children ages 57. These books are
often designed to help a child build his
or her reading skills.
CHAPTER
BOOK,
children ages 712.
appropriate
for
Short chapter books, appropriate for
children ages 79.
Longer chapter books, appropriate for
children ages 912.
YOUNG-ADULT FICTION, appropriate for
children ages 1218.
Pictures have always accompanied
children's
stories.
A papyrus from Byzantine Egypt, shows
illustrations accompanied by the story
of Hercules' labors. Modern children's
books are illustrated in a way that is
rarely seen in adult literature, except
in graphic novels. Generally, artwork
plays a greater role in books intended
for younger readers (especially preliterate children). Children's picture
books often serve as an accessible
source of high quality art for young
children. Even after children learn to
read well enough to enjoy a story
without illustrations, they continue to
A lOrbis Pictus by Comeniusate 18thcentury reprint of , the first children's
picture book.
Another method of creating illustrations
for children's books was etching, used
by George Cruikshank in the 1850s. By
the 1860s, top artists in the West were
illustrating
for
children,
including
Crane, Randolph
Caldecott, Kate
Greenaway, and John Tenniel. Most
pictures were still black-and-white, and
many color pictures were hand colored,
often by children. The Essential Guide
to
Children's
Books
and
Their
Creators credits Caldecott with "The
concept of extending the meaning of
text beyond literal visualization".
One must choose books that are
simple enough for the child to read
himself and as the child grows in
reading ability, the teacher must
provide
books
adapted
to
his
developing skills.
A good elementary school reading
program should provide for two
inseparable and interdependent ideas;
The development of reading skills, and
The encouragement of reading pleasure
Certain basic needs of children as well
as adults are:
Material
Securityit
embraces
everything that gives him a sense of
comfort and well being.
Emotional Security- the need to love
and to be loved.
SELECTING BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
Intellectual Security- the need to know
things more accurately.
Good books selection not only
requires a thorough knowledge of
children and their individual needs,
interest and abilities, but likewise
The need to achieve- to do or be
something worthy of respect.
Need for recreation and diversionbooks of laughter help dissolve fear and
tensions.
Need to belong- to be part of the group.
Books are a source of information,
comfort and pleasure for people
who know how to use them
and how to choose them.
among children of school age, pleasure
from reading books is dependent upon
skill in reading. If selection is suitable
and interesting the content, but too
difficult for a child to read for himself ,
the teacher should read it to him. One
must choose books that are simple
enough for the child to read himself
and as the child grows in reading
ability, the teacher must provide books
adapted to his developing skills.
DEVELOPMENT
OF
CHILDRENS
LITERATURE IN THE PHILIPPINES
Early literature for children was in the
form of:
Lullabies that mothers
chanted to their children
hummed
or
Songs for different occasions like
planting
songs,
verses,
riddles,
proverbs, ditties, nonsense rhymes and
fairytales.
Baliwayway- an Ilonggot lullaby shows
how a father expresses his hopes, fears
,and doubts about his growing boy's
future.
Diwaya- an Ilocano lullaby
Panghehele -Tagalogs lullaby expresses
the mothers wishes to share the childs
glory and pride.
There were also stories about mythical
heroes and heroines
like Bernardo
Carpio,Lam-Ang,Mariang Makiling and
others.
The
early Filipinos were fond of
proverbs and riddles which embodied
their own philosophy and unwritten
code of morality which they passed on
to their children.
Riddles
were
entertainment.
also
forms
of
Bagto-bagto ,bag-bagto lambik a
ryhtmic singing game of Igorots.
1593
Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Tagala y
Espanola by Father Domingo Nieva
The first book for children in the
Philippines. The book was used by the
elders for religious instructions and
prayers.
Caton or Cartilla
It contained the Roman alphabet and
syllables.
1606
Memorias de la Vida en Lengua China
was published.
Pamphlets containing the lives of
saints,
novenarios,
prayers
and
sermons of the missionaries and parish
priests were circulated among the
converts.
The Passion- the story of the life and
suffering of Jesus , had the widest
popular appeal because of the verses in
which it was written.
Corridos- metrical tales in which the
characters were kings and queens,
knights, monsters,etc.
Example :Florante at Laura, Pitong
1990s
The Americans introduced books in
English like Pilgrims Progress, Mother
Goose Rhymes, Alice in Wonderland,
Aesops Fables, Rin Van Winkle.
Americas literature became a part of
the literature of Filipino children and
American culture easily became our
culture, too.
Ginn and Company published literature
books written by American authors, but
prepared in the Philippines.
Example: Hugo Millers
Folklore Stories (1904).
Philippine
Camilo Osias was the first Filipino to
write textbooks, in 1920s he published
Philippine Readers, contained native
folktales, myths and legends, stories of
animals, Books 1 to 7, known as the
Osias Readers.
Maximo
Ramos
recognized
the
importance of preserving the literary
heritage, he wrote Tales of Long Ago
and Philippine Myths and Tales.
In 1940, the Philippine Book Company
was founded, and they published
childrens books like, All Time Favorite,
Fairy Tales in English and in Filipino, The
Voyages in Reading Series.
In
1962,
Bookmark
Incorporated
published the work of a group of
Maryknoll students, these were mostly
picture books. Some of them are
Pulatino by F. Luna, Ramon Goes to the
City by M. V. Pamintuan, The Star That
was Not by L. Enriquez, and Tobie and
the Christmas Bell by M. Yokoto.
In
1945,
Bookmark
Incorporated
encouraged writers to translate some
foreign childrens book like The Little
Lame Prince and Rubaiyat of Omar
Kayyam. Bookman also published
childrens books like When I was a Little
Boy by I. V. Mallari; Banca Moon by
Amparo Asuncion and Philippine Myths
and Tales for the Young by Maximo
Ramos.
In 1946, National Bookstore engaged in
reprinting foreign books and in
translating fairy tales in Filipino like the
Ladybird Series. The publishing firm
also published comics in Pilipino and
English like Rizals Classic Illustrated
Filipino Heroes Stories, Legends of the
Philippines Series, World Fairy Tales
Series, Bible Illustrated Series and
many others.
Alemar-Phoenix
Publishing House
published childrens books like: Myths
and Legends of the Early Filipinos by F.
L. Jocano, Philippines Folktales by
Aquino, [Link]., The Old House, The
Ginger Girl and other Stories by C. V.
Pedroche.
In 1962, Pamana Incorporated started
producing childrens books. Among
these are: Makisig: The Little Hero of
Mactan by Gemma Cruz, Horgle and the
Kings Soup by Gilda C. Fernando, Once
Upon a Hilltop by Isabel T. Escoda, Anak
Datu by Abdulmari Imao, The Wind
Whispered to the Grass by A. Lo, Ang
Kaharian sa Tuktok ng Kawayan, etc.
New Day Publishers owned by the
Christian Literature of the Philippines
published My Friends and the Haunted
Cave by Thelma Zuniega and A Gift by
Rosario Ratorta.
