Originally published in 1671, James Janeway's A Token for Children was an immensely influential work, both in the world of Anglophone children's literature, and in many Protestant Christian circles. A popular Puritan preacher who often ran afoul of the authorities in England - the Church of England apparently attempted to have him shot on two occasions, and the building in which he preached was torn down, only for his followers to build him a new one - Janeway collected the seven stories for this book from within his own fold. In 1673 (or thereabouts) he issued a second volume, containing six more examples of child conversion and death, and the two were quickly combined, going on to be reprinted countless times, in whole and in part, in the 18th and 19th centuries. The American Puritan minister, Cotton Mather (1663-1728) was so impressed with the book that he adapted it, producing A Token for the Children of New England, and the two works - Janeway's and Mather's - were often published together in American editions.

The edition of this that I read for my masters course on early children's literature was published in 1676, and contained only the original seven examples of the first book. I read the continuation separately, in A Token for Children. The Second Part, and I have never read the Mather adaptation. In this volume we have a series of children who find God, and are converted to a true understanding and faith in Him, before dying at a young age. They are clearly meant as an example to other young children, and the author's preface to child readers (following upon his introduction for parents and educators) asks them a series of eleven questions and provides a series of eleven instructions. The children range in age from four to fourteen, and the narrative describes both their worldly suffering and their spiritual joy. Reading this, it is easy for the contemporary reader to feel alienated - even repelled - and to conclude that this is a morbid and dark work. What such a reaction misses however, is the historical and cultural context in which the book was written. Infant and child mortality in 17th-century England was high: 12% of children died within the first year of life, 36% before the age of six, and 60% by the age of sixteen. Most families had many children, which meant that those who did survive were almost guaranteed to have experienced the death of multiple siblings by the time they were old enough to read. Confronted with this stark reality, thankfully so very different from our own today, Janeway's work must have offered immense comfort, presenting the idea that young children could be spiritually saved (an all-important consideration at the time), and go to a better place after death. For some, whether parent or sibling, this might have been the only comfort available, and it must have seemed, not morbid and dark, but life-affirming and beautiful.

I myself found this a fascinating window into a different time, and a useful reminder of how important it is to read works of literature in their historical and cultural context, in order to gain a better understanding of them. The importance of the Puritans, in establishing Anglophone children's literature, cannot be overstated, although it is an unfortunate reality that many people (even some scholars) tend to ignore this. The recent picture-book biography of John Newbery, Balderdash!: John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children's Books, would be a popular example. One wonders whether this stems from a general distaste for religion on the part of some today, or a specific prejudice against the Puritans, who one often sees singled out as uniquely intolerant, from a religious perspective, despite being no worse than plenty of other groups of the period. Happily, some are not so blinkered, and when Leonard Marcus designed his "The ABC Of It: Why Children’s Books Matter" exhibit for The New York Public Library a few years ago, the Puritan founders were well represented. Recommended to anyone interested in the history of children's literature in the Anglophone world, or in the history of the Puritans and their groundbreaking educational efforts. ( )