Children's Lit: OMG It Really Does Matter!

As we wrap up our 6 week course, Children's Literature: It Matters, we want to confirm that the importance of children's books is as important today as it ever was. Last night, Leonard Marcus, pre-eminent scholar on children's literature, joined us at The Meeting House for a riveting talk on the subject. Over the course of his 1 hour presentation, Around the World in 80 Picture Books, Mr. Marcus shared with us the history of the picture book, its origins around the world and its significance to culture and society. One thing that stood out to us is that the art from of children's books came about at a time in societies during the rise of the middle class. We wondered why. Turns out that as people started to understand the importance of literacy to long-term familial success, they began to prioritize educating their children at earlier ages. Picture books, in particular, gave children a head start on learning and had a massively positive effect on these societies' competitivenss in art, literature, science and business. And here we thought we were just teaching our kids to say goodnight to the moon.