A de Grummond Primer: Highlights of the Children’s Literature Collection is the first book-length project on the Collection. The book is comprised of scholarly essays written by children’s literature scholars in addition to over ninety full-color images taken from the collection.

Edited by Carolyn J. Brown, Ellen Hunter Ruffin, and Eric L. Tribunella, the book examines the de Grummond Collection’s key subject areas which includes fairy tales, 19^th Century periodicals, African American children’s literature, the Golden Age of illustrated books, and early books for children among others.  

The book also includes the story of collection founder Lena Y. de Grummond and her arrival at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS in 1966. According to sources, Dr. de Grummond wanted her teaching to be “more than a textbook.” Wanting her students to fully experience the courses she taught led her to begin a children’s book collection. In addition to de Grummond's initial decision to request original materials from authors and illustrators, she also began building a library of children’s books and books about children’s books. Dr. de Grummond sought to not only provide more meaningful experiences in her classes and beyond, but also to provide opportunities for scholarly research. 

Contributors to the book include Ann Mulloy Ashmore, Rudine Sims Bishop, Ruth B. Bottigheimer, Jennifer Brannock, Carolyn J. Brown, Ramona Caponegro, Lorinda Cohoon, Carol Edmonston, Paige Gray, Laura Hakala, Andrew Haley, Wm John Hare, Dee Jones, Allison Kaplan, Megan Norcia, Nathalie op de Beeck, Amy Pattee, Deborah Pope, Anita Silvey, Danielle Bishop Stoulig, Roger Sutton, Deborah D. Taylor, Laura Wasosicz, Alexandra Valint, Eric L. Tribunella, and Ellen Hunter Ruffin. 

Published by University Press of Mississippi, the book's cover features original artwork from the Collection by Wendell Minor from Trapped! A Whale’s Rescue, a book written by Robert Burleigh and illustrated by Wendell Minor. For a more information or to purchase a copy of the book, please visit https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/A/A-de-Grummond-Primer.  

Submitted by: 

Ellen Ruffin 
Curator of de Grummond Collection, Associate Professor 
McCain Library and Archives 
University of Southern Mississippi