Chaucer as Children’s Literature: Retellings from the Victorian and Edwardian Eras

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Geoffrey Chaucer is the major author for Middle English studies and therefore usually receives at most a casual glance in studies of children’s literature. There have always been, however, fascinating affinities between Chaucer and children that have made retellings of his stories for children especially popular. This book examines in detail Chaucer stories retold for children - both the text and the illustrations. Many Chaucer stories are excellent examples of the relationship between verbal and visual storytelling that is very important in children’s literature. The most popular Chaucer stories, the adjustments for children, and the historical, political, educational, and social contexts of the retellings are also covered. The author also considers how retellings of Chaucer stories contributed to the traditional view of Chaucer as the father of English poetry and how this view of him was developed at the turn of the twentieth century as part of an expansion of general education and English studies.