Fall 2008 - The Johns Hopkins University Press

The Hidden AdultDefining Children’s LiteraturePerry NodelmanWhat exactly is a children’s book? How is children’s literature defined as a genre? Aleading scholar presents close readings of six classic stories to answer these questionsand 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, andPlain City—all written for young people of varying ages in different times and places—toidentify shared characteristics. He identifies markers in each work that allowthe adult reader to understand it as a children’s story, shedding light on ingrainedadult assumptions and revealing the ways in which adult knowledge and experienceremain 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 itscommonalities and shared themes.The Hidden Adult is a focused and sophisticated analysis of children’s literature and a major contribution to the theoryand criticism of the genre.“Perry Nodelman is a leading scholar of children’s literature and The Hidden Adult is arguably his magnum opus.”—Beverly Lyon Clark, author of Kiddie Lit: The Cultural Construction of Children’s Literature in AmericaPerry NodelmAN is professor emeritus of English at the University ofWinnipeg and author of The Pleasure of Children’s Literature and WordsAbout Pictures: The Narrative Art of Children’s Picture Books. ProfessorNodelman is also an accomplished author of children’s books such asBehaving Bradley.September 432 pages 6 x 9¼978-0-8018-8979-0 0-8018-8979-0 $70.00(s) / £37.00 hc978-0-8018-8980-6 0-8018-8980-4 $35.00(s) / £19.00 pbLiterary Theory and HistoryTHE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS www.press.jhu.edu 48