This is an exploration of the lives and work of five writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries - Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, J. M. Barrie, Kenneth Grahame and A. A. Milne - who are best remembered for their books for children. It examines both their personal reasons for writing fantasy works that have found lasting appeal with children and adults, and the cult of childhood in late-Victorian society that provided the background for their writing.