Which classic characters emerged during the Golden Age of English children’s literature?

The Golden Age of English children’s literature, which spanned roughly from 1865 to 1945, was a period characterized by a significant rise in literary quality and the creation of iconic characters who became permanent fixtures in the imagination of children.1

Many of these enduring characters emerged from the works of influential authors during this era:

• Alice: The protagonist of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865), a work that helped define the period by prioritizing imagination and nonsense over traditional moral instruction.12
• Long John Silver: The memorable antagonist from Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure tales.1
• Mowgli: The central figure in Rudyard Kipling’s stories.1
• Mr. Toad: The boastful and irrepressible character from Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows (1908), who is joined by other beloved figures such as Mole, Rat, and Badger.13
• Mary Poppins: The magical nanny created by P.L. Travers.1
• Dr. Dolittle: The physician who could talk to animals, created by Hugh Lofting.1

This era also saw the development of various genres, including the art fairy tale, school stories, and animal tales, all of which contributed to the rich landscape of classic English children's literature.1