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P. Nodelman, The Hidden Adult. Defining Children's Literature

P. Nodelman, The Hidden Adult. Defining Children's Literature

Publié le par Gabriel Marcoux-Chabot (Source : Site web de la maison d'édition)

NODELMAN, Perry, The Hidden Adult. Defining Children's Literature, Baltimore, John Hopkins University Press, 2008, 408 p.
ISBN 978-0-8018-8980-6

RÉSUMÉ

What exactly is a children's book? How is children's literature definedas a genre? A leading scholar presents close readings of six classicstories to answer these questions and offer a clear definition ofchildren's writing as a distinct literary form. Perry Nodelman beginsby considering the plots, themes, and structures of six works: "ThePurple Jar," Alice in Wonderland, Dr. Doolittle, Henry Huggins, The Snowy Day, and Plain City—allwritten for young people of varying ages in different times andplaces—to identify shared characteristics. He points out markers ineach work that allow the adult reader to understand it as a children'sstory, shedding light on ingrained adult assumptions and revealing theways in which adult knowledge and experience remain hidden inapparently simple and innocent texts.Nodelman then engages a wide range of views of children's literaturefrom authors, literary critics, cultural theorists, and specialists ineducation 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 ofchildren's literature and a major contribution to the theory andcriticism of the genre.

BIOGRAPHIE

Perry Nodelman is professor emeritus of English at the University of Winnipeg and author of The Pleasure of Children's Literature and Words About Pictures: The Narrative Art of Children's Picture Books. Professor Nodelman is also an accomplished author of children's books such as Behaving Bradley.