University Institute of Liberal

Arts and Humanities

Master of Arts – English
Course Name – Children’s Literature
Course Code – 21 LET708
Faculty Name – Dr. Aruna Bhat

“Introduction: The World of Children’s

DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER
Literature Studies” by Peter Hunt
 COURSE OBJECTIVES

The Course aims to:

To understand the genre of children’s literature, its classification and
1 relation to popular culture.
To explore the social, political, and literary issues raised by many
2 contemporary works of children’s literature

2
 COURSE OUTCOMES
On completion, the students are expected to
CO Children’s Literature Level • Space for visual (size 24)
Numbe
r
CO1 Probe into the literary and aesthetic Understand and
merits of Children’s Literature.
Apply
CO2 Demonstrate their ability to recognize, Application
identify and communicate the role of
ideology in children’s texts.

CO3 Examine some of the social issues dealt Application

with in contemporary works of children’s
literature
CO4 Appreciate the value of multicultural and Application
international children’s literature in
developing an understanding of and
appreciation for other cultures through
literary genres

C05 Understand how authors use literary Understanding

devices to get their message through 3
/
 “Introduction: The World of Children’s Literature
Studies” by Peter Hunt

 The essay is written by Peter Hunt.

 It is the introductory essay of the book
Understanding Children’s Literature edited by
Peter Hunt
 The essay is divided into subsections:
a. Children’s Literature
b. Literature and Children
c. History, Ideology, Politics
d. Reading Children’s Literature
e. Criticizing Children’s Literature
4
 (a) Children’s Literature
 Children’s Literature: An enticing study

 Largely not noticed by intellectual and Cultural Gurus

 Children’s books have had direct/indirect influence

Socially, Culturally, and historically

Attractive to students of Literature, education, library

studies, history, psychology, art, popular culture, media
and so on.

 Children’s books do not exist in Vacuum.

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 (a) Children’s Literature

 Children’s books are complex, infinitely

varied.

 More complicated than assumed

 We need to establish some basic concepts, ideas

and methods to understand Children’s literature

 Evolve a critical theory and practice tailored to

the precise needs of Children’s literature
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(b) Literature and Children

 Children’s literature is worth reading, worth discussing, and worth thinking

about for adults.

 “Literature belongs to all people all the time”

 Children’s books seen as valuable or as stepping stones to higher things (‘adult’

or ‘great literature’)

 “Literature…is a speech act or textual event that elicits certain kinds of

attention” – Jonathan Culler
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(c)History, Ideology and Politics

• Range of Children’s books and the ways in which they can be studied
are very extensive.

• Children’s books are part of the ideological structures of the cultures

of world, so their history is constructed ideologically.

• Children’s books have a long history around the world, and they have
absorbed into themselves elements of folk and fairy tale, and the oral
tradition. 8
(c)History, Ideology and Politics

• In many places, such as many parts of Africa, they have a postcolonial

tinge.

• Earliest books for Children were based on traditional materials, or

overtly didactic.

• Histories of Children’s books worldwide demonstrate tensions

between educational, religious and political exercises on the one
hand, and various concepts associated with ‘freedom’ on the other. 9
(c)History, Ideology and Politics

• The concept of ‘Freedom’ notably included fantasy and imagination.

• Thus Children’s Literature clearly demonstrated society’s concept of

childhood and its power-relationship to adults.

• Censorship has also been one of the key concepts related to

production of Children’s literature in any era.

• Children’s Books have the history of being withdrawn from society.

The questions of being protective or restrictive can be raised. 10
(c)History, Ideology and Politics

• Censorship tends to characterise children as impressionable and

simple-minded.

• Children are thought to be unable to take a balanced view of, for

example, sexual or racial issues, unless the balance is explicitly stated.

• There as always been a dilemma with respect to Children’s Literature:

How far children are likely to be influenced by what they may or may
not perceive in the texts? 11
 Conclusion

 Hunt offers a lively and opinionated history of

children's literature, covering the obvious material.
 He offers distinctive ideas about both individual works
and writers and ways of approaching the genre.
 A brief introduction looks at boundaries and
definitions and at the relationship of children's
literature with literary criticism.

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 HOMEWORK QUESTION

What is your perspective about Children’s Literature?

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 APPLICATIONS

• Analyzing books specific to the genre of children’s literature.

• Explore the social, political, and literary issues raised by

many contemporary works of children’s literature.

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 ASSESSMENT PATTERN
Students are assessed on the basis of the following
parameters:
• Hourly Tests - 2
• Assignments
• Surprise Test
• Quiz
• Student Engagement
• End Semester Exam

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 REFERENCE BOOKS
a. Hunt, Peter. (1999) Understanding Children’s Literature. Routledge, London and
New York, Second Edition. Rousseau, J. J. Emile or On Education.
b. Aries, Philippe. (1973). Centuries of Childhood: A Social History of Family Life.
Penguin, Harmondsworth.
c. Bettelheim, Bruno. (1976). The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and
Importance of Fairy Tales. New York: Knopf.
d. James, Allison et. al. (1997). Theorizing Childhood. London: Polity.
e. Rose, Jacqueline. (1984). The Case of Peter Pan or: The Impossibility of Children's
Fiction. Macmillan, London.

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 REFERENCE WEBSITES

• https://dannyreviews.com/h/Hunt_Childrens_Literature.html

• https://khidiglibrary.weebly.com/uploads/7/0/5/6/7056479/understanding_child
res_literature.pdf

• https://muse.jhu.edu/article/247527/summary

• https://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/samplechapter/0/1/3/2/0132685833.
pdf

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 RESEARCH TOPICS

• https://www.euppublishing.com/loi/ircl

• https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1057481.pdf

•
https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/the-origins-of-ch
ildrens-literature

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THANK YOU

For queries
Email: aruna.e12964@cumail.in