The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are known as the 'Golden Age of Children's Literature' because many classic children's books were published then. Children's literature has been shaped by religious sources, like Puritan traditions, or by more philosophical and scientific standpoints with the influences of Charles Darwin and John Locke. Since the fifteenth century much literature has been aimed specifically at children, often with a moral or religious message. Even after printing became widespread, many classic 'children's' tales were originally created for adults and later adapted for a younger audience. The development of early children's literature, before printing was invented, is difficult to trace. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader.Ĭhildren's literature can be traced to traditional stories like fairy tales, that have only been identified as children's literature in the eighteenth century, and songs, part of a wider oral tradition, that adults shared with children before publishing existed. Ĭhildren's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. With the help of Dickon, a local boy, Mary intends to uncover its secrets.The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) is a canonical piece of children's literature and one of the best-selling books ever published. Dark, dreary Misselthwaite Manor seems full of mysteries, including a very special garden, locked tight for 10 years. But the girl's life changes when her mother and father die and she travels to Yorkshire to live with her uncle.

Born in India, the unattractive and willful Mary Lennox has remained in the care of servants for as long as she can remember. The finished drawings are then scanned and the color is added digitally. A thin layer of black ink is rolled over the surface, and lines are drawn by hand with a sharp knife by scraping through the ink layer to expose the white surface underneath.

Scratchboard is an illustration board with a specifically prepared surface of hard white chalk. Scott created these drawings in scratchboard #65533 an engraving medium which evokes the look of popular art from the period of these stories. Christina is a theater set and costume designer and contributed advice on the period clothing for the illustrations. Their projects often involve research into the visual aspects of historical settings and characters.

The illustrations for this series were created by Scott McKowen, who, with his wife Christina Poddubiuk, operates Punch & Judy Inc., a company specializing in design and illustration for theater and performing arts. Print The Secret Garden (Puffin Clothbound Classics)

The secret garden puffin classics