ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to explore how nostalgia has influenced the construction of children's 'classics' in Denmark and subsequently the understanding of childhood in the twentieth century. The chapter's theoretical framework combines theories of childhood and consumption with theories of cultural memory, nostalgia and memory politics. The theoretical reflections are related to an analysis of the Danish Canon of Children's Culture from 2006, an official list of twelve items argued to be a "fundamental" part of Danish culture. The analysis of the canon explores how the creation and promotion of 'classic' media products for children in practice interacts with our contemporary perception of past childhoods. The Canon's nostalgic element arises from its understanding of the Danish tradition of children's culture as being under threat from globalization and commercialization. With its simplified periodization and insistence on a unique, national tradition, the Canon suppresses alternative histories about how Danish culture has been shaped through interaction with other cultures and has changed over time.
