HoB_ABCs

Title Little People: An Alphabet

Full description This charming book depicts each letter of the alphabet with a child from a country associated with the letter, and has accompanying text. Through the images and text national stereotypes are conveyed, teaching children the hierarchies of power within societies and amongst nations.

Literacy The content of the book indicates the reader would need to possess an international literacy in order to understand references in the verses to people of other nations. The book expresses popularly held stereotypes at the time. For example, for the letter C, boys from China are described as being "merry" and "good." For the letter A, Arabian boys are described as being "upset" and fierce. This book was published in London during early 20th century, a time when many nations and nationalities were becoming widely known to Western culture. The reader of this book would be learning these national stereotypes.

Childhood The reader imagined by this book would be a child beginning to learn the hierarchies of power, but who is still enjoying the pleasantries of childhood. Through the text a reader finds that the illustrated children are not all depicted in an equally favorable light. For the letter P a Persian is richly dressed and "roves through rose-gardens and lemon groves." However, for the letter N, a Neapolitan (a person from Naples, Italy) is dressed in plebian clothing and "plays the pipes for pence... to help him on his weary way". Despite the class differences between the Persian and the Neapolitan, both of the children are depicted with doll-like faces conveying the Western notion of the innocence of childhood.

Iconography The depictions of nationalities in this book reflect the Western values of power structures and the belief in English superiority over other countries. For example, the letter K depicts a Kaffir (a person from South Africa), simply wearing a diaper, he possesses no weapons, and the text describes him as "sly." In contrast, the letter E depicts an English, wearing a soldier uniform, carrying a sword, saluting the reader with a direct gaze, and the text describes him as a "splendid race... sturdy...honest...they own much of the land and all of the sea...they will never be slaves." This contrast between the Kaffir and the English illustrates the dominant view in Victorian culture of the English being the superior nation.

Production In 1897, Grant Richards started his own publishing company, which became known for producing plays, poems, and other literary works. Richards also produced series such as World's Classics and The Dumpy Books for Children, which includes Helen Bannerman's infamous children's book The Story of Little Black Sambo. Unfortunately, Richards declared bankruptcy twice, and his publishing company eventually failed.