CHILDREN’S LITERATURE ACROSS CULTURE1
Goal of Children’s literature is to ‘teach and delight’
The child ballad ‘Robin Hood and Little John’ by Barbara Cohen is appropriate to be
considered as child literature. The posthumous presentation of the picture book tells about the
entire journey of Robin Hood and his friendship with little John. It is rightly appropriate for the
children as it describes all the fights and resulting into mutual way of admiration (Cadnum,
2015). The colorful presentation of the pictures during the battle and other incidents present an
appealing feel for the children.
The story belongs to the domain of folklore. In other terms, it can be said that, the story
of utter admiration can evoke the sense of friendship among the children at the time of reading. It
can rightfully achieve the target of teaching with appropriate delight.
Technique of the story
Barbara Cohen’s presentation of ‘Robin Hood and Little John’ is a child ballad. It
belongs to the traditional nature of ballads from England and Scotland. Ballads are known as the
genre of narrative songs. Following the English tradition, it is rhymed in nature with alternating
quatrains of four stressed and three-stressed lines. Robin Hood is the character who survived
with other forms in the later seventeenth century (Würzbach & Salz, 2013). This particular story
present Robin Hood as a twenty years old young man and his meeting with Little John. The
humor lies in calling John as little. The description of John states that he is seven feet tall with
enlarged limbs. The picture book provides a fearsome appearance of John.
This particular ballad belongs to the collection of ballads about Robin Hood. According
to the Puritan writers this book is considered as ‘childish follye’. The introductory fights and
friendship at the end spread the feeling of delight to the readers. The presentation of Little John,

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