This course will trace the development of Children's Literature in Western culture from ancient to modern times. The course will examine the following genres: alphabets, fables, primers, chapbooks, fairy and folk tales, short fiction, nursery rhymes, children's verse, and picture books. Secondary materials will address issues such as conceptions of the child during different historical periods, and theoretical approaches to children's literature including literary, multicultural, psychoanalytic and word/image studies.