Childrens Literature

Tales featuring animal characters have played a significant role in children's literature. A small selection of works are displayed here. Back row, from left: Josef Menzel, illustrated by Jiri Trnka, Mischa Kugelrund im Zoo (Berlin [East Germany]: Altberliner Verlag Lucie Groszer, [1952]), a German translation of Misa Kulicka v Zoo; The Great Menagerie: An Adaptation of the Antique Pop-Up Book, English text by Anthea Bell (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1979), a pop-up book that is a reproduction of an antique German edition first published during the 19th century by J.F. Schreiber, Esslingen. Front row, from left: Aesop's Fables and The Velveteen Rabbit or, How Toys Become Real (described more fully below) and Koinu (Tokyo: Masumi Shobo, [196-?]), a Japanese storybook about dogs that is number 29 in the Masukotto ehon series.

Pictured from left are two books from the Hildreth Miniature Book Collection: Margery Williams, illustrated by Michael Green, The Velveteen Rabbit or, How Toys Become Real (Philadelphia: Running Press, 1989); Aesop’s Fables, retold by Steven Zorn (Philadelphia: Running Press, 1990).