ENG 271: Literature for Young Children
Syllabus for Spring 2022
French Fairy Tales.
Read these in M. C. Waldrep's Favorite Fairy Tales. Or, if you do not have that book, the following online texts correspond to the Waldrep versions.
- Cinderella
- Story 5: Little Red Riding-Hood
- Story 27: Toads and Diamonds
- Story 14:The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots
- Story 11: Beauty and the Beast
Also everyone needs to read this French fairy tale, which is not in Waldrep:
German Folk Tales.
Read these in M.C. Waldrep book or read online
Also every needs to read these three German Folk Tales not in Waldrep.
- "Little Red-Cap" in .pdf format
- Hansel and Gretel
- Aschenputtel/Cinderella
Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tales
Read these in Waldrep book or read these online:
- "The Princess and the Pea" also called "How to Tell a True Princess"
- "The Ugly Duckling"
- "The Emperor's New Suit "
- Emperor's New Clothes" link to a .pdf version
Also read in Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales
English Folk Tales
- "Jack and the Beanstalk" (updated 1/28/21)
- "The Story of the Three Little Pigs" in .pdf format. (updated 1/28/21)
Aesop's Fables
Joseph Jacobs' The Fables of Aesop. Here is an electronic version of the texts we are using:The Fables of Aesop on Internet Archive
-- from Aristophones' "Birds"
African-American Folk Tales
- "How the Sky God's Stories Came to Be Known as Spider Stories" and "The Talking Skull" from The Annotated African American Folktales
- "Doc Rabbit, Bruh Fox, and Tar Baby" From The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales told by Virginia Hammilton. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
- "The People Could Fly" and "John and the Devil's Daughter" from The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales told by Virginia Hamilton. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
Read Margaret Wise Brown's introduction and her adapted version of "The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story" in .pdf
Walt Disney Film Adaptions of Fairy Tales
Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's The Stinky Cheeseman
- If you don't have a copy of the book, you can watch Jon Scieszka reads The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. YouTube
- Great video of Stinky Cheeseman by John Gillam. good animation of images with nice voices. YouTube 4:52
Fractured Fairy Tales: "Sleeping Beauty"
Fractured Fairy Tales: "Three Little Pigs" on YouTube
Disney's "Big Bad Wolf" (1934) on YouTube. 9:03
Muppets' Classic Theatre "Elves and the Shoemaker"
Muppet's Classic Theater "The Elves and the Shoemaker" 9:27
Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre "The Frog Prince"part 3/6
Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre. Introduction on YT 1:26
Into the Woods by Stephen Soundheim. "Agony"performed by the princes of Cinderella and Rapunzel. Greenville Little Theater 2006. "Agony Reprise"
Green Jelly "Three Little Pigs Official Video"
Early Readers: Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad
- Essay on good qualities of a picture book by Arnold Lobel (in .pdf format)
- "I look funny in a bathing suit" segment from Frog and Toad musical. video
Mother Goose Rhymes
The Only True Mother Goose: Mother Goose Melodies by Unknown. On Project Gutenberg.
Poetry for Children
Philip Smith, ed. Favorite Poems of Childhood. This is only a preview. Please purchase and read the entire book.
Proposal information
How to do Research and MLA Style
Watch these videos from the Milner Library Help Videos section.
Milner Library also has information on how to cite sources. Read this information and watch the videos on MLA Style, which is what we will use to cite materials in this course.
MLA has an online style guide at style.mla.org
Read this: "Starting the Research Process and Searching the Internet" Link to .pdf file of an MLA document
If you need help using the Milner Library website, contact Jean MacDonald, English Stdies Subject Library. jmacdon@ilstu.edu
Music for children
- Little Richard’s “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
- Crystal Taliefero’s “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book in song format
- Woody Guthrie’s “Riding in the Car” (Ramblin' Dan sings the tune with the picturebook in an updated version)
- Raffi’s “The Wheels on the Bus” Here is a Cocomelon version of "Wheels on the Bus"
- Trout Fishing in America’s “18 Wheels on a Big Rig” Here is a performance of the tune.
- Raffi’s “Day O”
- Peter Paul & Mary’s “Puff the Magic Dragon” (Here's a contemporary Japanese trio singing this in English, includes lyrics)
- Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “Linus and Lucy”
- Sesame Street’s “Cookie Monster Sings C is for Cookie”
- Barney & Friends’ “I Love You”
- Pink Fong's "Baby Shark"
Perry Nodelman's "The Relationships of Pictures and Words"
Read this essay: A .pdf of Nodelman's essay from his book Words About Pictures
Picture This by Molly Bang
A .pdf of Molly Bang's book, if you are unable to purchase it.
Beatrix Potter
Read Beatrix Potter The Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit. if you do not have it, read these versions on project gutenberg.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
- Goodnight Moon is read at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWIH_3RRfRI
- Runaway Bunny read along is at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSBqgBmnyjU
- Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd.
Crockett Johnson
- The Carrot Seed by Crockett Johnson (a SlideShare to Read if you don't have the book
- Harold and the Purple Crayon read aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl94zwz8cKU
Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat
- If you can't get a copy of the book, Read this a Slideshare of the book.
- Or watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyuMVj2bIJc
Comics: Easy as A B C! by Ivan Brunetti
- Watch: “Comics and Literacy – Francoise Mouly Booklist Webinar.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEKevfa3H7c
- Toon Books website with .pdf of the book for a limited time
- Guided Reading Lesson Plan for Comics: Easy as A B C!
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- Read the book. If you are unable to get it, you can read it in .pdf here.
- Getting to Know Maurice Sendak: 1985 interview on video.
Book censorship & Book challenges:
Politics of Children's Literature/Politics in Children's Literature
Top 10 Most Challenged Books for 2019 at the ALA
Diversity in Children's Books
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
- Watch this video of book being read, if you don't have book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYWodTneq-Q
- Art Exhibition: The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats at The Jewish Museum in New York
- Biographical video on Keats on YT (3:36)
- Nancy Larrick's essay "The All White World of Children's Books." This is a pdf document that links to a copy of Larrick's essay originally published in The Saturday Review, September 11, 1965.
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
- Faith Ringgold reads her book. If you don’t have book, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y61DQchz0nM
A Fine Dessert by Emily Jenkins
If you don’t have book, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OP9kKuan2Y
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
If you don’t have book, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgN0d9eAYIA
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley and Brian Selznick
- If you don’t have book, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH51tuuBXZs
- Dinosaurs of Crystal Palace: Lost Valley of London.
- Crystal Palace Dinosaur Tribute YouTube
- Dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park by Prof. Joe Cain. YouTube
- Paleantology & Politics: Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins and his New York City Paleozic Museum
- Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins on Brooklyn CUNY dinosaur site.
- Princeton's Art Museum has numerous paintings by Waterhouse of the dinosaurs in their habitat.
- Friends of the Crystal Palace dinosaurs. A group in London working to maintain the dinosaurs. A map of where the dinosaurs are in Crystal Palace Park.
A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh
Origins of Winnie-the-Pooh. MojoWatch video. 4 min.
A.A. Milne reading from Winnie-the-Pooh in 1929. YouTube. reading begins at about :58.
A. A. Milne's poem "Teddy Bear"
Winnie-the-Pooh read aloud. Chapter 7 (1-2) YouTube
Winnie-the-Pooh read aloud by a British cast including Stephen Frye as Pooh and Judi Dench as Kanga. Chapter 2. Illustrated video on YouTube. 8:14 min.
"Return to Pooh Corner" by Kenny Loggins. Video with Loggins singing the tune.
"The House at Pooh Corner" YouTube video taking the tune with an overlay of the images. one version with images from the Disney film. a second version with images from the book.
Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
If you don’t have book, you can read it here: https://epdf.pub/ramona-the-brave-avon-camelot-books.html
Interview with Beverly Cleary on “Today” show https://www.today.com/video/children-s-author-beverly-cleary-on-turning-100-i-didn-t-do-it-on-purpose-652185155745
An NPR interview with Cleary on her 90th birthday, April 2006. An earlier interview with Cleary from Aug. 16, 1999.
More help for writing your paper
Click here to link to the American Library Association's list of Caldecott Medal Winners.
Link to .pdf of Mark I. West's "Key Reference Works Related to Children's Literature" from Everyone's Guide to Children's Literature. Ft. Atkinson, WI: Highsmith Co., 1997.
Research & Writing Resources for Children's Literature. A list I've compiled to help you on your research papers. Includes links to online resources, journals and more, plus a list of books.
If you are struggling to write a literary analysis paper, read "How to Write a Research Paper in Literature" by Geoff Baker at Chico State University (.pdf format)
Check out the 60Second Recap video page on How to Write a Paper. Informative, lively points about writing academic papers. Can your paper pass all the tests?
The following materials are links for previous versions of this course.
Children's Music
They Might Be Giants, including links to podcast and videos.
Ralph's World website (from Chicago's famed Old Town School of Folk Music)
Dan Zanes website. YouTube video of "All Around the Kitchen" (popular on Disney Chanel)Dan Zanes sings American music for families
Trout Fishing in America website (also check out the cool treehouse)
Little Richard in YouTube video of "Rubber Duckie"
Laurie Berkner's video on YouTube of "Victor Vito" (she once entertained for Madonna's children)
RaffiNews.com Site for music and news about children's singer Raffi.YouTube video of Raffi singing "Baby Beluga" A kindergarten class singing and moving to "Baby Beluga"
KiddieRecords: a similar sight with hundreds of children's albums, including covers, details about music and mp3s
National Children's Folk Song Repository. Looks like the website has good intentions. You can record yourself singing a folk song.
Best Children's Music. com Website with good collections (for sale) of children's music. Includes mp3 samples.
FreeKidsMusic.com Good selection of mp3s of up and coming singers/songwriters for kids.
Songs for Teaching. "Using music to promote learning" Songs about atoms, multiplication, phonics & history.
Instruction with delight: An educational revision of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" to "Scholar Ladies" Sweet. For Hope Christian schools in Milwaukee.
Alphabet Books
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book in song format
"Alphabet of All Nations". performed by They Might Be Giants.
50 Alphabet Books for children reviewed.
Common Core lesson plan for Alphabet Books for first graders
Pop up alphabet book, show in video
Video of numerous alphabet books. 3 min
Series books: Time Warp Trio Not So Jolly Roger. Tim Warp Trio
Time Warp Trio website
Kidsread.com information about Time Warp Trio
The first Time Warp Trio television show about the Not So Jolly Roger. YouTube segment. 10 min.
Jon Scieszka's website
Fanfiction.com related to Time Warp Trio
"The Boys Have Fallen Behind" column in March 2010 by Nicholas Kristof in the NY Times. Books for Boys: Confessions of a Reluctant Reader blog.
Series books: American Girls
American Girls official website
Link to Jan Susina's article "American Girls: Barbies with a sense of history" in Children's Literature American Girl MollyAssociation Quarterly. Fall 1999. In Project Muse. (Accessible through Milner Library with ISU ULID)
Flavorwire essay on "What your American Girl doll says about you" Fun, slightly silly on how the dolls have changed.
Essay by Elizabeth Marshall "Marketing American Girls" in rethinkingschools.com (winter 2008/2009)
"American Girls taking over the country" by Rachel King in Fast Company (April 2009)
Notes and photos of a girls' book club that discusses and dresses up like the American Girls
Madison Davenport, Abigail Breslin, and Brieanne Jansen in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Preview of Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. YouTube video
Clip from Molly: An American Girl on the Homefront. YouTube
A girl browses an American Girl store. YouTube video. An English girl goes to the American Girl store in New York. YouTube video.
Babymouse by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm
Babymouse by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm
Babymouse official website, housed at Random House
"The Classroom Cast" Babymouse video. YouTube
Bringing up Baby Mouse, a video by Katie Davis
Jennifer Holm's website. a co-creator of Babymouse
Matthew Holm's official website. a co-creator of Babymouse
Interview with Jennifer and Matthew Holm about their Babymouse series. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 24, 2008
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Official website of Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Diary of a Wimpy Kid website. Funbrain.com site begin here with FAQs
YouTube mashup of funny cartoons from Diary of a Wimpy kid accompanied by appropriate music.
A Fourth Grade play of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. short and cute.
Blog of Jeff Kinney. Diary of a Wimpy Kid's creator.
Jeff Kinney interviewed Oct. 22, 2009 on NPR. He answers kids' questions.
Washington Post article on how Jeff Kinney wrote and published the Wimpy Kid series. (March 3, 2009)
YouTube interview of Jeff Kinney from Barnes & Noble. YouTube interview with Jeff Kinney on first two books at Borders.
Trailer for the Dairy of a Wimpy Kid film (2010). YouTube. :30 TV promo on YouTube
Jeff Kinney at a Borders pulling out books that he likes and talking about them, including Scott McCloud's book on comics. 3:30 min on YouTube
Children's Websites
Club Penguin enables kids to be virtual penguins
Club Penguin, the virtual realilty world, now owned by Disney, with flocks of penguins
BrainPop is the household's favorite educational program.
Webkinz World, the popular virtual site connected to the fuzzy animals
Millsberry, popular virtual children's site owned by General Mills
Nick.com, Nickelodeon's website. Note: This site takes a lot of bandwidth, so may download slowly. Videos run automatically and can annoyingly slow site.
PBS Kids, website for public television's children's shows
Lego.com. All things Legos, including games and product promotions.
BBC Children's site. Very detailed site, click around.
Fun Brain, home to The Wimpy Kid and many other interesting kids' things
Disney.com. Website for all things Disney. One option is ToonTown, a game to download and interact in virtual reality.A Neopet
Dav Pilkey's extra-crunchy website o'fun. Captain Underpants and beyond.
GirlTech. A Mattel site for girls that's connected to high-tech toys.
Kidsreads. A website about kids' books, with reviews.
Neopets. Online pets and more that are linked to toys.
J. Otto Seibold site. Author's own site. Search around for games.
GigglePoetry. Hundreds of silly poems for children. Includes information about authors, poetry theater, etc.
Jan Brett's website. Children's author has created many web-based and printable activities for children and teachers related to her books. "4,173 pages of free activities, coloring pages, and projects."
Webbliword. A newer site for children with avatars. somewhat educational.
Time for Kids, website for children of Time magazine
Litle Clickers, a website with links to many educational sites.
Major League Baseball Site for Kids.
Monterey Bay Aquarium. site for the ocean-based aquarium in California. great example of a non-fiction science site.
Villainy, Inc. Thwarting World Supremacy Through Mathematics. Maryland Public TV site with math story.
Previous verions of this course
Course guide for Spring 2018
Syllabi for ENG 271 - Spring 2020 (original. will be updated)
Research paper links
MLA Style Guide
Resources about children's literature for research
Link to .pdf of Mark I. West's "Key Reference Works Related to Children's Literature " from Everyone's Guide to Children's Literature.
University of Michigan guide to Children's Literature research
Online Children's Literature Journals
Children's literature book awards and Victorian Literature resources on this website.
MLA Guide, in .pdf format. How to write and format your papers. Important to look at before you hand in the final version of your research paper.