I was intrigued by the idea that children’s literature, a genre seemingly dismissed by many, could so keenly reflect a shift in cultural values. In many ways, children’s literature serves as our initial foray into the independent gathering of information. Until we learn how to read, we rely on our observations, and the point-of-view of others when confronted with a question. With literacy, we are granted the opportunity to discover for ourselves. While our first books may not support philosophical wonderings, their perspective guides us into the world of empathy and knowledge. That being said, many early readers tend to pay more attention to the pictures in a book than the words themselves. In their pre-literacy years, images are certainly their only gateway into the narrative. However, even for young readers those illustrations act as a guide through the story. It was this idea that helped me narrow my interest from the evolution of Victorian children’s literature, to more specifically Alice in Wonderland. Drawn by the nonsensical nature of Alice, I wanted to further explore the creative relationship between Tenniel and Carroll that lead to the creation of a culturally iconic classic. While it was not difficult finding texts about the illustrations of Alice, it was challenging narrowing my search results. It was easy to find sources about Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland, and the narrative value of its illustrations through the USF Library database. However, it was difficult finding scholarly articles or books about Tenniel online. By locating a book review of a biography about Tenniel, I was able to find a print version of the biography itself in USF’s circulating collections. I was also surprised when I had difficulties finding texts discussing the general characteristics of Victorian children’s literature. Similarly to Tenniel’s biography, I used USF’s library database to find a book review, which led me to the book Evolution and Imagination in Victorian Children’s Literature. Although the book was not in USF’s library system, I was able to find excerpts of the book online.
