The Hidden Adult

This scholarly work tackles the fundamental question of what actually defines children's literature as a distinct genre, offering close readings of six classic stories ranging from Alice in Wonderland to The Snowy Day. Nodelman examines plots, themes, and narrative structures across these diverse works written for different age groups and time periods, building toward a clear definition of children's writing as a unique literary form that deserves serious critical attention.

What makes this analysis particularly valuable is how it reveals the complex relationship between children's books and adult perspectives, showing how these texts often contain what Nodelman terms "the hidden adult" presence. Literature students and aspiring writers will find this essential reading for understanding how children's literature operates as more than simplified adult fiction, while educators and scholars will appreciate the nuanced framework for evaluating youth literature. The book ultimately transforms how readers perceive the children's books they thought they knew, revealing the sophisticated literary mechanisms at work beneath seemingly simple surfaces.