“The handsomest
and best Series of Illustrated Books for Young Children ever published in this
country.” In this way the publisher E.P. Dutton advertised books by the
popular author Emma Lewis Sanford, towards the end of the nineteenth century.
The library has just received a generous gift of the works of this author from
her great-granddaughter, Nancy Werner Cooper, AB47. The gift includes the books
of the Pussy Tip-Toes series, the Rose Dale series, The Captain's Children,
and Little Nell's Story Book. These books, and others by Sanford, were very
fully and beautifully illustrated by a number of artists, including Kate Greenaway,
the prolific magazine and book illustrator Mary Ellen Edwards, and the wood
engravers William Luson Thomas and John Greenaway (Kate's father).The Pussy Tip-Toes' series followed the children of several families through their day-to-day adventures and troubles. These books were intended for children who could read well already. The Rose Dale series, though, was carefully written for beginning readers. Its methods of making reading easier are very interesting. Most of the words are short; all polysyllabic words are divided with a hyphen between the syllables to encourage sounding them out. Larger type fonts were also used for these "easy readers."
Sanford's books relate the daily lives of young children, emphasizing moral lessons and the spiritual development of the characters. Important secondary themes are affection between siblings and the pleasures of family life. It is clear that these were of the highest importance to the author herself. Her own family was large - she raised six children and a stepdaughter - and payment for the children's books she wrote was an important supplement to her husband's salary as a minister. Her books are written with a cheerful understanding of the activities that interest children and with a real appreciation for them. She must have shared her love of family with her children; you can trace the path of affection in the inscriptions. Most of the books are gifts from the author to her children and grandchildren; many are inscribed to the child who received them by "Grandma." Sanford's family, in turn, kept this delightful group of children's stories in their family for generations. There is at least one book given by the author to her niece, which was later passed on to one of the grandchildren.
Like many children's books, the works of Emma Lewis Sanford provide a tremendous resource for research on topics ranging from art to education. They are a rich font of information for students of Victorian book illustration and design, and for research into late nineteenth century mores and child rearing. The simplified vocabulary and layout of the books for younger children is also interesting for the history of reading instruction. These charming illustrated stories, which have been passed down through the author's family for more than a century, ought to provide enjoyment and enlightenment well into the future.