New Books for New People: Soviet Central Asian Children’s Books (1926–32)
Journal: Comparative Studies of South Asia Africa and the Middle East
Year: 2012

This study examines five children’s books produced in Soviet Central Asia and the Crimea between 1926 and 1932. While stemming from pre-Soviet intellectual movements among Muslims in the Russian Empire, these books represent a new kind of product that was created for children who were educated in new Soviet schools. The earlier books demonstrate an active effort to increase literacy among the Uzbeks and Turkmen and show little overt Soviet content. However, the Crimean Tatar book from 1932, whil