The Rollo series by Jacob Abbott
The Rollo series by Jacob Abbott is a collection of children's books that follow the adventures of a young boy named Rollo as he navigates the challenges of growing up in rural New England during the mid-1880s. The series begins with simple, illustrated short stories aimed at aiding language development in young children, gradually evolving to incorporate philosophical themes and broader life experiences. Rollo's journey includes learning essential life skills, interacting with peers and authority figures, and grappling with moral lessons, all while maintaining a focus on realistic depictions of childhood.
Throughout the series, Rollo experiences both the joys and difficulties of childhood, learning valuable lessons about responsibility, decision-making, and the natural world. His character is contrasted with other children, such as the headstrong Dovey, showcasing varying approaches to behavior and authority. Abbott's storytelling emphasizes the importance of moral growth and self-awareness, encouraging children to reflect on their actions and strive for personal improvement. While rooted in the didactic traditions of the time, Abbott's writing is notable for its engaging portrayal of Victorian society, offering relatable insights into the experiences of children and their development. Overall, the Rollo series serves as both an entertaining and instructional resource for young readers.
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The Rollo series by Jacob Abbott
First published: 1835-1864: The Little Scholar Learning to Talk: A Picture Book for Rollo, 1835 (also as Rollo Learning to Talk, 1839); Rollo Learning to Read: Or, Easy Stories for Young Children, 1835; Rollo at Play: Or, Safe Amusements, 1836; Rollo at Work: Or, The Way for a Boy to Learn to Be Industrious, 1837; Rollo at School, 1838; Rollo’s Vacation, 1839; Rollo’s Experiments, 1839; Rollo’s Museum, 1839; Rollo’s Travels, 1839; Rollo’s Correspondence, 1839; The Rollo Code of Morals: Or, The Rules of Duty for Children, 1841; Rollo’s Philosophy: Water, 1841; Rollo’s Philosophy: Air, 1841; Rollo’s Philosophy: Fire, 1842; Rollo’s Philosophy: Sky, 1842; Rollo on the Atlantic, 1853; Rollo in Paris, 1854; Rollo in Switzerland, 1854; Rollo in London, 1854; Rollo on the Rhine, 1855; Rollo in Scotland, 1855; Rollo in Geneva, 1856; Rollo in Holland, 1856; Rollo in Naples, 1858; Rollo’s Garden, 1857; Rollo in Rome, 1858; all illustrated
Type of work: Moral tale
Themes: Education and social issues
Time of work: The mid-nineteenth century
Recommended Ages: 10-13
Locale: New England
Principal Characters:
Rollo , an honest, conscientious boy, who is very concerned about his own behaviorMr. Holiday , Rollo’s wealthy father, who provided him with a wide variety of experiences, resulting in his developmentJonas , an orphan boy, who comes to live with the Holidays and work for Mr. HolidayUncle George , Mr. Holiday’s brother, who accompanies Rollo and his father on their travels
The Story
In the books in the Rollo series, the plots develop from simple short stories to read to a young child, to philosophical investigation into the workings of nature, to the broadening experience of foreign travel. Rollo is the main character in the series. In the first book his name is mentioned only once, in the last sentence: The book is clearly intended to be for, not about, Rollo. It is a series of illustrated short stories designed to be read to a very young child to assist with language development. Subsequent volumes portray Rollo participating in various activities associated with the life of a boy growing up in rural New England in the mid-1880’s.
From the early experiences of learning to talk and read, Rollo proceeds to learn how to work at home. The experience is not without its problems, and the young boy learns the difference between observation and participation. The situations are appropriate and realistically convey the trauma and rewards of a child learning to do the simple tasks an adult takes for granted.
As Rollo ventures into the world, his earliest contacts are with other children at school and the adults outside his family who have authority over him. He is interested in obeying the teacher and learning all that he can. Other students provide a contrast to Rollo’s obedient and docile manner: For example, Dovey is an obstinate, headstrong girl who defies her mother, the teacher, and the whole idea of school. Rollo provides her with a superior example of what a student should be and influences her in her behavior and character development.
In the earliest Rollo books, Rollo’s experiences are of a child in the quiet surroundings of home and community learning to make appropriate decisions about his own behavior, based on his experiences and the experience of others. It is a limited world at first, but it broadens as Rollo matures. Through the natural elements, Rollo develops his intellectual philosophy. Through various experiments with water, Rollo learns about evaporation, controlling the flow of water, and water pressure. From the information acquired from such experimentation, Rollo develops his understanding of water, air, fire, and sky. Rollo has a well-developed conscience, even though he is only five or six years old. His father uses the elements to teach Rollo the sins of human nature: Through Rollo’s resentment of rain, which causes a trip to be canceled, he points out how wrong Rollo’s attitude is. Rollo acknowledges his wrongdoing and asks his father’s forgiveness.
Rollo travels abroad with his father and Uncle George. Although Mr. Holiday has sufficient wealth for comfortable travel, Rollo is expected to use his money and his time carefully, and he is expected to take care of himself. On one occasion, Rollo and George go to the railroad station, but Rollo is distracted by a dog. George buys his own ticket but requires that Rollo decide in which coach he wants to sit and buy his own ticket. George and Mr. Holiday insist that Rollo make his own decisions and then be responsible for his own actions.
The stories are plausible and realistic; the plots are simple and uncomplicated. The story is always important and—because there are so many books in the series—there is more character development than would be possible in a single volume.
Context
The books in the Rollo series make up one of the earliest children’s series written in the United States. Jacob Abbott liked children—he wanted his books to be entertaining yet instructional. Although his work was produced during a didactic period in the development of children’s literature, the work conveys the interests in children not evident in the work of other writers of the day, such as Maria Edgeworth. The length of the series allowed the readers to become familiar with Rollo and taught lessons that needed to be taught by his example without becoming overbearing or boring.
Much of the usefulness of this series lies in its portrayal of Victorian society. There is little creativity or imagination here, but there is a clear picture of the accepted social and moral attitudes of the period. Abbott held a progressive attitude toward the nature of childhood, yet he was conservative in his social and moral values. He believed that children had a great capacity for good as well as evil—his books served as his attempt to push children toward the good.
Through Rollo, the author suggests what children should do but allows them to arrive at their own conclusions, as does Rollo in the stories. Rollo is always desirous of moral perfection, yet he never completely attains it. The implication is that the child is a developing human being, never quite complete. Rollo may not always reach the highest standards, but he is always willing to admit his mistakes and attempt to do better.