Childhood and Children: A Compendium of Customs, Superstitions, Theories, Profiles, and Facts

by Joan Bel Geddes

Overview

This engagingly written compendium is packed with humorous, dramatic, surprising, and inspiring facts about the past, present, and future of children and childhood. This extensively indexed reference work covers childhood from ancient times to the present day, including child development, family life, child rearing in different cultures, and children in mythology, folklore, and religion. Contemporary issues such as child abuse, poverty, and crime are also covered.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780897748803
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/30/1997
Pages:	680
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.44(d)

About the Author

JOAN BEL GEDDES is a freelance writer and editor who has broad experience in the field of children and childhood. She was the editor-in-chief of several publications and spent more than 25 years as a consultant, information officer, and chief of publications at UNICEF. Bel Geddes received her bachelors degree in sociology and economics from Barnard College and has written several other books including Are You Listening, God?

w to Parent Alone: A Guide for Single Parents

all World: A History of Baby Care from the Stone Age to the Spock Age

d Children Praying: Why and How to Pray with Your Children.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
The History of Childhood
Children in Folklore, Mythology, and Religion
Childbirth and Newborns
Health Care and Children with Disabilities
Child Development
Children and Family Life
Child Rearing and Education
Child's Play and Toys
Children's Games and Sports
Children, Art, and Music
Children and the Entertainment Arts
Children and Literature
Children and Poverty and Violence
Children of Peace and War
Advocates for Children
Children and the Future
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

This is the first reference source devoted exclusively to all aspects of childhood. The author, a writer who worked for UNICEF for 25 years, has created a compendium of quotations, trivia, history, folklore, mythology, religion, biographical sketches, and social theory as they relate to children and childhood. Following a brief introduction, each chapter offers a list of dates, famous people, quotations, historical data, and myths on subjects such as play and toys, education, health, games and sports, and peace and war. The tone is upbeat, and the emphasis is on prodigies. The lists, while interesting, are arbitrarywhy include Peggy Fleming and Katrina Witt on the figure skating list but not Kristi Yamaguchi?and occasionally incorrect, e.g., Itzhak Perlman has five children, not four. Although this is an entertaining introduction to childhood as a subject area, with an extensive list of sources and a good index, it lacks the necessary depth to be a reference source. An optional purchase.Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland P.L., Cal.

Library Journal

The author has varied experience with children and children's issues: she was editor-in-chief for two parent-oriented magazines, she worked as UNICEF's chief of editorial and publications services, and she has three children of her own. She has assembled here a collection of excerpts, quotes, and anecdotes interspersed with facts, figures, and general reflections on topics that include the history of childhood; children in folklore, mythology, and religion; childbirth and newborns; child development; family life; education; play and toys; art, music, and entertainment; poverty and violence; peace and war. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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