The dawning of the picture-book really started a new generation of children’s books, when author/Illustrators such as Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886) started producing children’s illustrated books that took on a level of visual communication, different to children’s illustrated books of that time.
Let me explain in the words of Maurice Sendak, who expressed his inspired observations whilst reading the nursery rhyme, Bye Baby Bunting, illustrated by Randolph Caldecott.
Maurice noted in The Randolph Caldecott Treasury,
“Baby is staring with the most perplexed look at those rabbits, as though with the dawning of knowledge that the lovely, cuddly, warm costume he’s wrapped up in has come from those creatures.“
Sendak concluded that Baby Bunting’s expression seems to query,
“Does something have to die to dress me?”
I seriously doubt whether this book could be published today, as a nursery rhyme picture-book, whilst managing to avoid creating disturbing imagery in support. Children’s books have altered in content and moral standing considerably since Caldecott’s books were published.
The changing face of children’s illustrated books and more notably the contemporary picture-book, occurred as a consequence of society’s changing view of childhood, children’s role as a target audience and material deemed appropriate. (Egoff, 1981).
Sendak was also inspired by author/illustrator Tomi Ungerer who was made famous in the 1960s for his unpopularity with the children’s publishing establishment when he introduced unconventional characters, such as robbers, snakes and beggars, as compassionate protagonists in his illustrated children’s books and at the same time, publishing adult books on disturbing erotica. (Kennedy, 2008)
Still, he was a popular children’s author/illustrator in the 1960s, producing books such as The Three Robbers and No Kiss for Mother before his unpopularity propelled him into obscurity whereby his books were removed from all public libraries. (Heller, 2012).
It wasn’t until 1998 when he received a reappraisal of his career, including his children’s books, when he received the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest achievement for children’s book authors. (Cowan, 2015)
Ungerer, who was also renowned for his iconic advertising campaigns, political stance against the Vietnamese War and racism in the 1960’s; nuclear disarmament, plus ecological and humanitarian causes, was made the first Ambassador for Childhood and Education for the Council of Europe, in 2003. (Ungerer, 2017)
Caldecott, R. (1882). Hey Diddle Diddle and Baby Bunting R. Caldecott’s Picture Books. 1st ed. London: George Routledge and Sons.
Caldecott, R. and Billington, E. (1978). The Randolph Caldecott treasury. 1st ed. New York: F. Warne.
Cowan, S. (2015). All in One: An Interview with Tomi Ungerer.
Egoff, Sheila A (1981) Thursday’s Child: Trends and Patterns in Contemporary Children’s Literature. Chicago, IL: American Library Association)
Heller, S. (2012). The Artist Who Inspired Maurice Sendak Finally Gets His Due. [Blog] The Atlantic newsletter. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/08/the-artist-who-inspired-maurice-sendak-finally-gets-his-due/260892/
Kennedy, R. (2008). Tomi Ungerer: Return of the Renegade Children’s Author. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/arts/design/27kenn.html?pagewanted=all
Ungerer, T. (1961). The Three Robbers. 1st ed. London: Phaidon Press.
Ungerer, T. (1969). Fornicon. 1st ed. New York: Grove Inc Press.
Ungerer, T. (1998). No Kiss for Mother. 1st ed. Maryland. USA: Roberts Rinehart.
Ungerer, T. (2017). Tomi Ungerer - Official Website. [online] Tomiungerer.com. Available at: http://www.tomiungerer.com/
