The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature (4 Volume Set) - Hardcover

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9780195146561: The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature (4 Volume Set)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195146565 ISBN 13: 9780195146561

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2006

For much of its history, children's literature has been overlooked or looked down on by scholars. But in recent years children's literature has assumed greater importance, as literary critics, psychologists, anthropologists, and historians have begun to discover what children and parents have known for centuries: that this is a literature of extraordinary richness, depth, and delight.

The Encyclopedia captures and elucidates this richness in four volumes and 3,200 signed entries. It offers comprehensive coverage of children's literature, from medieval chapbooks of moral instruction for children to J. K. Rowling's immensely popular Harry Potter books. Unlike other references, the Encyclopedia not only documents but also interprets every work, major and minor, that has played a role in the history of children's literature in the world. General essays illuminate prominent trends, themes, genres, and the traditions of children's literature in many countries. In addition, the Encyclopedia provides biographies of important writers, as well as extensive coverage of illustrators with numerous examples of their work. Sociocultural developments such as the impact of toys, films, animation, the Internet, literacy, libraries and librarians, censorship, the multicultural expansion of the field, and other issues related to the appreciation and dissemination of children's literature are also addressed.

While the Encyclopedia concentrates on the tradition known best by its readership, it also covers the international development of children's literature and offers an unprecedented treatment of works from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, African countries, and other nations. Its over 800 distinguished contributors come from around the world and include such renowned scholars and writers as Gillian Avery, Peter Hunt, Klaus Doderer, Hansa Heino Ewers, Jean Perrot, Denise Escarpit, Brian Alderson, and Betsy Gould Hearne.

A-Z organization, accessible writing, plentiful illustrations, cross-references, bibliographies, a comprehensive index and a systematic outline make the Encyclopedia an invaluable and easy-to-use research reference.

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About the Author:

Jack Zipes is at University of Minnesota.

From Booklist:

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature "endeavours to account for all the most significant . . . works that have played a role in the history of children's literature in the world." That said, it does have a stated focus on the Anglo-American tradition, with the inclusion of entries on English-language authors from Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and African countries as well as those from other countries whose works have been translated to English. The scope of the set is impressive and ambitious, as shown by the topical outline in the last volume: it covers 39 countries and regions (for example, Arab world; China; South America, Spanish-speaking); 105 "Special Subjects and Terms" (Critical approaches to children's literature, Mad magazine, Publishers and publishing, Witches); 106 genres or types of literature (Crossover books, Graphic novels, Horse and pony stories, Television and children); more than 150 individual titles and characters (Cinderella; Hardy Boys series; Nutcracker, The; Paul Bunyan; Ring-a-ring-a-rosy); and more than 2,700 entries on authors, illustrators, librarians, and other important people (Arbuthnot, May Hill; Blackman, Malorie; Hoffmann, Heinrich; Opie, Iona, and Peter Opie; Peet, Bill; Rowling, J. K.). The chronological span encompasses medieval times through the present. A brief, readable introduction provides background for the mutable concept of "children's literature."

Editor Zipes (a highly regarded author of works on folktales and fairy tales, for whom there should have been an entry!) touts the "breadth and depth" of content, and these are indeed what set this publication apart as a must-have for any library with reference works on literature in English. Signed entries from more than 800 international scholars range in length from a paragraph or two to essays of one or more pages, with a brief bibliography (for example, Germany; Multiculturalism; Tolkien, J. R. R.). Articles are written in a clear and consistent style. Biographies highlight the subject's unique contribution or approach: Oodgeroo Noonuccal's work in the early 1970s was an impetus for "increasing production for children by Aboriginal authors and artists," Arthur C. Clarke's work balances "science and a sense of wonder," and Robert Sabuda's pop-ups have "raised the profile . . and expanded the age range" for this art form. Longer entries on countries and other topics are often nicely divided into sections on historical periods, influential factors, or types of literature, such as "The Old Stories" and "Bridges between Two Worlds" in Asian American literature. Black-and-white graphics, such as examples of illustrations or author photos, occasionally punctuate the attractive page design.

The last volume includes additional resources: a selected bibliography; lists of winners for 25 major awards from the U.S., UK, Canada, and other countries; a directory of major world collections of children's literature with contact data and Web sites; the topical outline; a directory of contributors, their affiliations, and entries; and an excellent, detailed index that seems to cover each and every person or title mentioned in the text. Some typographical errors were noted in passing, such as "Oliver B. Miller" in Watty Piper; "Eeyore's tale" in Milne, A. A.; and the mutation of the final letter diacritic to a "2" on several entries in the index (for example, Filopovic2, Zlata), though not the entry text.

The impossibility of being an all-inclusive reference is admitted in the preface and evident in the omission of entries for Olive Beaupre Miller, who started a publishing company in Chicago and produced the very successful and beloved My Book House multivolume collection of children's stories for most of the twentieth century; Meg Cabot, American author of The Princess Diaries and its follow-ups, popular in both Britain and the U.S.; and Horn Book Magazine. There is a good deal of unique biographical and topical content remaining in other Oxford reference books on children's literature, as well as in many other titles found in larger collections, among them The Cambridge Guide to Children's Books in English (2001) and Gale's Something About the Author series (with access to more than 10,000 author biobibliographies). Still, librarians and users will head for the authoritative volumes of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature more often than not as an excellent starting point for queries. Recommended for most libraries. Deborah Rollins
Copyright � American Library Association. All rights reserved

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