Minders of Make-believe

This engaging cultural history traces the evolution of children's literature through the influential editors, authors, and illustrators who shaped American childhood across two centuries. Leonard Marcus provides a compelling narrative of how picture books and young readers' literature transformed from moralistic primers to imaginative works that reflected changing societal values. The book reveals how publishing industry decisions and creative partnerships between editors and artists fundamentally altered what children read and how they experienced stories.

What makes this work particularly valuable is its focus on the behind-the-scenes figures whose editorial vision and creative risk-taking launched literary movements and established children's literature as a serious art form. Readers interested in publishing history, education, or children's media will appreciate how Marcus connects these historical developments to contemporary debates about literacy and childhood. The result is a thought-provoking exploration of how the stories we give children ultimately shape the adults they become.