The history of children’s literature is a growing area of study; this group of essays brings together innovative, scholarly voices to explore the fascinating tales behind many beloved books. The publication mines the Betsy Beinecke Shirley Collection of American Children’s Literature, one of the world’s richest sources for original books, manuscripts, and artwork. The essays, commissioned for this volume, examine little-known backstories of three hundred years of classic children’s literature, from Louisa May Alcott to Langston Hughes to Mo Willems.


Distributed for the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Epilogue by: Timothy Young
Contributions by: Brian Alderson, Jill Campbell, Beverly Lyon Clark, JoAnn Conrad, Elizabeth Frengel, Patrick Kiley, Heather Klemann, Gregory Maguire, Leonard Marcus, Sandra Markham, Michelle Martin, Katie Trumpener, Laura E. Wasowicz, Pádraic Whyte, Timothy Young