Historical Dictionary of Children's Literature

Emer O'Sullivan is professor of English Literature at Leuphana University. She has published widely in both German and English on comparative literature, image studies, children's literature, and translation, and she has received international recognition for her pioneering work in comparative children's literature studies.

For this entry in the publisher's Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts series, author O'Sullivan has written more than 500 entries for authors and genres as well as a few other topics, such as American Library Association, Ethnocentrism, Newbery Medal, and Wizards. Most of the entries are for authors, from Aesop to Stephenie Meyer. Although the emphasis is on literature in the U.S. and Great Britain, some individuals from other countries, such as Swedish author Astrid Lindgren and Dutch illustrator Dick Bruna, are also included. A handful of entries cover characters, among them Nancy Drew and Thomas the Tank Engine. There are also a few entries for works, such as The Arabian Nights; but in most cases, book titles serve as see references to author entries ("ALICE IN WONDERLAND. See CARROLL, LEWIS"). Preceding the entries are a list of acronyms, a chronology beginning circa 900 and ending in 2008, and an introduction to children's literature and its development....Closing the volume are an appendix of awards and a well-organized bibliography. Providing a concise overview to help the reader understand the historical development of children's literature, this work is recommended for academic and large public libraries. It could also find a place on the professional-development shelves of children's librarians.