Originally published as
Reminiscences of Friedrich Froebel
, this enchanting 1894 account of the German inventor of kindergartens was instrumental in bringing kindergartens to the United States. This lively portrait of a pioneer of modern education is a refreshing reminder of the essential role of play and creative exploration in the development of children. Froebel's methods provide a much-needed antidote to the current emphasis on high-stakes testing and accelerated curricula—a corruption, as Herbert Kohl argues in his foreword, of the original concept of kindergartens as children's gardens of learning.