BOOK / LECTURAS CLÁSICAS PARA NIÑOS

LITERATURE / PEDAGOGY Classical Readings for Children represents one of the best moments of the educational project of the Mexican Revolution. The two volumes of the work — prepared by a team of artists and intellectuals under the direction of José Vasconcelos and published in mass print runs in 1924 — bring together adaptations, aimed at girls and boys, of canonical texts from all over the world and from all eras, from the Vedas of India to pre-Hispanic myths, medieval songs, Shakespeare and Wagner. In addition to being anthologies of great literary value, the Readings represent an invaluable document of the spirit of cultural renewal that Vasconcelos promoted during his brief but protean time at the recently founded Secretariat of Public Education. The texts were adapted by figures of notable literary significance such as Gabriela Mistral, Jaime Torres Bodet, Palma Guillén, José Gorostiza, Salvador Novo and Xavier Villaurrutia, and the beautiful original illustrations were done by Ro