Betsy Beinecke Shirley, one of the great collectors of American children's literature, gathered a peerless collection of books, original illustrations, manuscripts, and ephemera. This gorgeously illustrated book presents over 200 selected original artworks from the enchanting collection she bequeathed to the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University.

Guiding the reader on a lively tour through the stages of childhood reading, this volume begins with ABCs and nursery books. It continues through adventure stories, magazines, and more, then concludes with a miscellany...

"Look at the funny little penguin " and "What a silly-looking penguin " Hearing this all day long is enough to make any little bird angry, especially when he's NOT A PENGUIN This is the story of a puffin who is upset that he's constantly mistaken for a penguin. He finally reaches his breaking point and goes on a rant about the many differences between the two. A little girl stops him in mid-speech because she does know the differences, and he listens as she explains to her father why puffins are her favorite. When you are feeling alone and misunderstood, sometimes it only takes the...

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.