Here and Now Story Book

Part manifesto, part model for a new approach to writing for preschoolers, this volume by the founder of the Bank Street College of Education became a hotly debated bestseller upon its publication. Mitchell argued that the fairy tales then favored by librarians confused young children, who naturally craved stories about their own here-and-now world, skyscraper cities and all. Mitchell staked her claim on years of direct observation of children at the Bank Street School. Librarians retorted that literature was an art, not a science. While the library viewpoint remained dominant for years to come, Mitchell's provocation inspired Margaret Wise Brown, Ruth Krauss, and others to take the picture book in exciting new directions.

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