The Child's Book of Nature
The Child’s Book of Nature was written by Worthington Hooker and published by Harper & Brothers in 1873 in New York. This book aims to educate children about the world around them, and its focus is divided into three main topics: plants, animals, and the four elements (air, water, heat, and light). The front and back covers of this book are a dark brown, with a monogram found in the middle of the front cover, which does not resemble the modern idea of what a children’s educational book would (or perhaps should) look like. The illustrations that can be found throughout this book are anatomically correct and serve as an educational tool rather than as decoration. Instead of having decorations to encourage children to read, this book focuses on the information as the motivating factor for why a child would want to read it.
Images play an important role in the educational aspect of this book. The use of illustration helps the reader not only have a visual idea of what they are learning about but frequently sliced images of fruits, leaves, seeds, and other plants are included. This display of internal anatomy allows for a more comprehensive understanding of how these plants grow, survive, and reproduce. An example of this can be seen with a pear that has been sliced to show the flesh of the fruit and the seeds that can be found inside.
Bugs, butterflies, and birds are also included in the illustrations of this book to help the reader picture those creatures. Including these images allows the reader to connect this information with the world around them, adding an element of reality and life to this information. This use of imagery oftentimes can be found in educational books in society today, not only in books directed towards children but also in books intended for people of all ages. Creating a way for people to see what they are reading or learning about helps solidify the knowledge that is being obtained.
One of the main goals of this book is to educate children about the natural world around them, including simple scientific reasoning and providing anatomical information. In the 19th century most structured learning came from books which is arguably vastly different from the ways children learn in society today. Between children’s books, online videos, and educational websites the opportunities children have today to learn are quite limitless.