Apprendre encore les Fables de La Fontaine

Qui n'a jamais recite une fable de Jean de La Fontaine a l'ecole, sans se douter qu'elles n'ont pas ete ecrites pour les enfants ? Le present ouvrage explore ce paradoxe, en analysant pres de 260 editions illustrees des fables esopiques publiees pour la jeunesse entre 1500 et 2020. Ces editions revelent que, bien au-dela de leur lecon morale, les fables sont devenues un pilier de l'education francaise. De l'histoire de leur institutionnalisation dans les ecoles republicaines a leur adaptation constante que permettent leurs illustrations, ce livre eclaire le lien entre texte, image et pedagogie. Premier ouvrage a traiter ce corpus en profondeur, il questionne l'impact historique et social des Fables dans la formation des jeunes Francais et Francaises. Did you know that, in France, children memorize and recite fables at least once during their schooling? Yet, these fables were not even written for children. This book explores this paradox by analysing nearly 260 illustrated editions of Aesopian fables published for young readers between 1500 and 2020. These editions reveal that, far beyond their moral lessons, fables have become a cornerstone of French education. From their institutionalization in republican schools to their constant adaptation through illustrations, this book sheds light on the connection between text, image, and pedagogy. As the first in-depth study of this corpus, it questions the historical and social impact of fables in shaping the education of French children over the centuries.