The Golden Primer

First published in 1884, The Golden Primer is a stunning example of Victorian book illustration by one of the foremost artists and illustrators of his day, Walter Crane. The primer uses methods for teaching literacy that are still in use today, such as encouraging the child reader to interact with the words and pictures, pointing out the printed words as they see them in the pictures, constructing these into sentences of rhyming verse, and counting how many times a word appears on a page. All of these useful lessons are accompanied by Crane’s charming and witty illustrations, for which he continues to be known.

            All the full-color illustrations are reproduced in this beautiful new facsimile edition, which presents side-by-side illustration and text. Back in print after over a hundred years, The Golden Primer will be a treasured gift and an excellent addition to any young reader’s collection.