Chapter 2. Almanacs for children

Abstract

Almanacs are one of the most characteristic subgenres of early modern and modern popular print. One of the keys of their persistence was their ability to evolve over time, which led, among other things, to the publication of almanacs for children. The latter, randomly preserved in libraries and archives, are still largely unexplored by both book historians and scholars of children’s literature. After a brief introduction on the history of almanacs, the chapter describes the contents and materiality of selected examples of almanacs for children from a range of European countries (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain), printed between 1750 and 1900. By placing these items in the sociocultural context in which they were issued, the chapter attempts to understand the strategies put in place by international authors and publishers.