, ▁age - ada pt ed ▁reading ▁primer , ▁Bar ba uld ▁emp lo ys ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁a ▁mother ▁teaching ▁her ▁son . ▁It ▁is ▁more ▁than ▁likely ▁that ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁events ▁in ▁these ▁stories ▁were ▁inspired ▁by ▁Bar ba uld ' s ▁experience ▁of ▁teaching ▁her ▁own ▁son , ▁Charles . ▁The ▁series ▁is ▁far ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁ac quire ▁liter acy ▁– ▁it ▁also ▁introdu ces ▁the ▁reader ▁to ▁" elements ▁of ▁society ' s ▁symbol - system s ▁and ▁concept ual ▁structures , ▁in cul c ates ▁an ▁eth ics , ▁and ▁encourag es ▁him ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁certain ▁kind ▁of ▁sens ibility ." ▁Moreover , ▁it ▁ex poses ▁the ▁child ▁to ▁the ▁principles ▁of ▁" bot any , ▁zo ology , ▁numbers , ▁change ▁of ▁state ▁in ▁chem istry ... ▁the ▁money ▁system , ▁the ▁calendar , ▁ge ography , ▁meteor ology , ▁agricult ure , ▁political ▁economy , ▁ge ology , ▁[ and ] ▁astronom y ." ▁The ▁series ▁was ▁relatively ▁popular . ▁Maria ▁Ed gew orth ▁commented ▁in ▁the ▁educational ▁treat ise ▁that ▁she ▁co - author ed ▁with ▁her ▁father , ▁Pract ical ▁Education ▁( 1 7 9 8 ): ▁it ▁is ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁books ▁for ▁young ▁people ▁from ▁seven ▁to ▁ten ▁years ▁old , ▁that ▁has ▁yet ▁appeared ." ▁ ▁Some ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁saw ▁Bar ba uld ' s ▁work ▁as ▁mark ing ▁a ▁shift ▁in ▁children ' s ▁literature ▁from ▁fant asy ▁to ▁did actic ism