The Hidden Adult

<p>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. </p><p>Perry Nodelman begins by considering the plots themes and structures of six works: The Purple Jar <i>Alice in Wonderland</i> <i>Dr. Doolittle</i> <i>Henry Huggins</i> <i>The Snowy Day</i> and <i>Plain City</i>--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.</p><p>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. </p><p><i>The Hidden Adult</i> is a focused and sophisticated analysis of children's literature and a major contribution to the theory and criticism of the genre.</p>