Children’s literature encompasses various genres, including picture books, traditional literature, poetry, biography, fiction, and non-fiction. Picture books are for young readers, while traditional literature includes folktales and fairy tales. Poetry and verse literature range from nursery rhymes to epic poems. Biographies and autobiographies inspire and educate, while fiction and non-fiction cover a wide range of topics, including fantasy and science fiction.
“Children’s literature” is a very vaguely and imprecisely defined term. The broad consensus on what constitutes children’s literature has traditionally been defined as any book that is read by children, educates children, or is about children for children. Not surprisingly, there is a huge inventory of different types of literature for children of all ages, divided into literary genres. Some of the more common genres of children’s literature include picture books, traditional literature, poetry and verse, biography, fiction, and non-fiction. From these basic literary genres arise a multitude of sub-genres such as science fiction, fantasy, legends and others.
Picture books are usually written for very young children who are just learning to read. These books include densely constructed board books for very young children; conceptual books such as those that teach the alphabet, counting, or basic reading skills; and plain, picture books that are read to children to expose them to the language and art of reading. Examples of traditional children’s literature in this picture book genre might include The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, or other Dr. Seuss stories; Russell Hoban’s Bread and Jam for Frances; Bill Martin Jr.’s Chicka Chicka Boom Boom; and HA Rey’s Curious George series.
Traditional children’s literature varies widely and is perhaps the most loosely defined genre, because selections may overlap with the general fiction category. Some educators believe that traditional children’s literature is closely characterized by unknown authors, stereotyped characters, anthropomorphism, and happy endings. Books that fall under this category might include folktales, fables, and fairy tales such as Aesop’s Fables, Brothers Grimm’s Fables, Paul Bunyan, and various other stories of legendary characters. Other educators incorporate these time-honored and popular stories by Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, CS Lewis, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and other authors into the genre of traditional children’s literature.
Poetry and verse literature include the epic poem, narrative poem, dramatic poem, lyric poem, and sonnet, among others. Rhyming literature is popular with very young children, as seen in the beloved nursery rhyme and favorite fairy tales Mother Goose, Jack and Jill and Little Miss Muffet. Poetry and verse literature appropriate for young adults might include The Iliad and Gunga Din, Paul Revere’s Ride, The Highwayman, Kubla Khan, and the modern collection of silly verse, Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends.
Children’s biographies and autobiographies are usually meant to inspire young people or educate them by providing entertainment. Historical fiction or narratives describing the life of important characters in history fall under this genre. Some examples of this type of children’s literature include Carole Weatherford’s Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, or Corrie ten Boom’s The Hiding Place.
Fiction and non-fiction comprise the widest variety of children’s literature. Modern fantasy and science fiction stories have become extremely popular with children. Generally, modern fantasy is characterized by time travel, fictional characters, and talking animals or inanimate objects. Children’s non-fiction literature is informational in nature, whether as an instruction, explanation, or persuasion. Children’s literature of this genre includes the Children’s Almanac, science books, or classic reference books aimed at children.
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