The Hidden Adult: Defining Children's Literature

By Perry Nodelman

Book Overview

What exactly is a children's book? How is children's literature defined as a genre? A leading scholar presents close readings of six classic stories to answer these questions and offer a clear definition of children's writing as a distinct literary form.

Perry Nodelman begins by considering the plots, themes, and structures of six works: "The Purple Jar," Alice in Wonderland, Dr. Doolittle, Henry Huggins, The Snowy Day, and Plain City--all written for young people of varying ages in different times and places--to identify shared characteristics. He points out markers in each work that allow the adult reader to understand it as a children's story, shedding light on ingrained adult assumptions and revealing the ways in which adult knowledge and experience remain hidden in apparently simple and innocent texts.

Nodelman then engages a wide range of views of children's literature from authors, literary critics, cultural theorists, and specialists in education and information sciences. Through this informed dialogue, Nodelman develops a comprehensive theory of children's literature, exploring its commonalities and shared themes.

The Hidden Adult is a focused and sophisticated analysis of children's literature and a major contribution to the theory and criticism of the genre.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801889804
• ISBN13: 9780801889806
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 1.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.1"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary