A/B/C/ book or Haneboek.

This text bears the ownership of the Vrije Universiteit (Free University) in Amsterdam. ABC-books were originally created with the purpose of instructing children in the art of reading. The earliest known examples of these books date back to the 15th century, marking them as the inception of children’s literature. An iconic example from the 19th century is ‘A is een aapje’ (A is for ape). This particular ABC-book stands as an illustration of using letter names rather than letter sounds, which is the prevailing approach in contemporary reading education.
Each of the ABC or alphabet books presented below is evaluated for its adherence to the pure vowel system. However, those that diverge and follow the non-pure or gliding vowel system possess their own unique charm and merit for enjoyment and utilization.
The roots of the Dutch ABC-book are broadly understood. If we take a historical journey back to the early 18th century, we find a clear picture. Various publishers, spanning from Middelburg in the South to Leeuwarden in the North, produced numerous editions of the Great ABC or Rooster Book. This book was employed in schools to instruct nearly every Dutch child in reading from the time of the Reformation. About 40 copies of this book have survived through the ages.

A significant portion, over three-quarters, of the Rooster Book’s 16 octavo-sized pages were dedicated to Protestant Christian texts. Following the alphabet in diverse letter forms and the list of vowels and syllables, readers would consistently encounter elements such as The Lord’s Prayer, the Twelve Articles of Faith, a Baptismal Formula, the Ten Commandments along with their summary, the words uttered by Christ during the Last Supper, morning and evening prayers, two prayers for before and after meals, and lastly, a page outlining rules of life associated with each letter of the alphabet. Therefore, The Great ABC served a dual purpose: facilitating reading education and imparting the tenets of the ‘one true religion.’

At first glance, all 18th-century schoolbooks might appear indistinguishable, as if one has seen them all. However, appearances can be misleading. Beyond slight variations on the title page, occasionally featuring a rooster or classroom in the woodcut and at times without, we observe diverse religious content reflecting different confessional beliefs. Notably, Lutherans had their tailored A/B/C booklet, and this was similarly the case for Catholic students.