Essays on Children's Literature: A Collection of Essays on Children's Books by Teiji Seta (Volumes 1 & 2)

This book compiles 81 essays and lectures related to children's literature, selected from the writings and lectures left behind by the author, a renowned translator, creator, editor, and researcher of children's books, and presented in two volumes. Following "Gleaning: People Surrounding Japanese Children's Culture" and "Teiji Seta's Collection of Children's Book Criticisms and Picture Book Essays," the publication of this "final volume" allows us to grasp the entirety of the author's work—a person who loved, enjoyed, and seriously engaged with the world of children and children's books.

In this book, the author speaks with remarkable suppleness about fantasy, folktales, oral literature, and the history of children's books and the people who built that history. One cannot help but admire the fresh and contemporary relevance of the questions he raises. Now, as we approach the 30th anniversary of his death, re-examining his work will undoubtedly serve as an invaluable guide for everyone involved with children's books.