Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/67450
Lessons of Clarke exhibit centers on children's literature Stop by Clarke Historical Library this fall, and you'll see the Cat in the Hat and the Bobbsey Twins and even learn about Babar and The Steadfast Tin Soldier. But the new exhibit – "Educating the Next Generation: The World of Children's Literature" – is more than childlike fun and games. In addition to looking at how children's books entertain, the comprehensive exhibit delves further into how these books create a framework that shapes the future of individuals and society. "People often think of children's books as child's play, Clarke Historical Library. "Children's books really are about adults teaching children something. " says Frank Boles, director of " According to Boles, the exhibit shows how children's literature teaches, conveys societal views about change and continuity within various cultures, and casts a global perspective on issues affecting the lives that children will lead as adults. childhood Boles and student intern Jillian Matthews worked closely with CMU English Department faculty members, including Anne Alton, Susan Stan and Susan Griffith, to develop the themes and items featured. Among the themes are literacy, moral education, images of children, technology and illustrative styles. "Children's literature isn't just about the reading. There are concepts involved in everything, from the illustrations that are used to the way they're presented, says Matthews, a senior history major from Flat Rock, Mich., who is pursuing a minor in museum studies. " 'Educating the Next Generation: The World of Children's Literature' Looking into how literature shapes children's lives • Oct. 1, 2010, through February 2011 • 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday • Clarke Historical Library • clarke.cmich.edu Alton says children's literature is one of the very few fields of literary study that is not defined by its authors, periods or regions. It instead is defined by its intended audience – children – and how parents, teachers, caregivers and other adults perceive children to be. "When thinking about children's literature, I think it's important to remember that, as John Rowe Townsend has suggested, children's literature like any other literature offers the enjoyment of 'the shaping by art of the raw material of life, really highlights the notion that literature for children is just as significant as literature for anyone else; ideally, the Clarke exhibit will remind people of this. '" she says. "This " • library.cmich.edu/pubs for more The 1956 and 2007 editions of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks' "Bronzeville Boys and Girls" show the impact illustrations have on children's literature. 10