Reviews
[Abate's] most foundational argument is that the genre of children's literature for adults exists at all. Abate's study moves well beyond the genre itself to include cultural analysis of the shifting, often contradictory boundaries of childhood and adulthood."
In lucid prose punctuated with wit, Abate explores how these books reflect significant changes in our cultural conceptions of childhood and adulthood.
Insightful and well-written, No Kids Allowed is a highly enjoyable read. Abate rightly differentiates 'children's literature for adults' from texts for young readers that, like the Harry Potter books, also appeal to adults.
No Kids Allowed is a provocative opening move in an academic discussion that is surprisingly unexplored.
No Kids Allowed will make a substantive contribution to the field of children's literature. It promises to be of interest to a broader audience of people invested in and curious about children's books or, specifically, children's books that are created for adult audiences.
Book Details
Acknowledgments
Introduction. A Is for Adult: Coloring Books, Bedtime Stories, and Picture Books for Grown-Ups
1. "A Book for Obsolete Children": Dr. Seuss' You're Only Old Once! and the Rise of
Acknowledgments
Introduction. A Is for Adult: Coloring Books, Bedtime Stories, and Picture Books for Grown-Ups
1. "A Book for Obsolete Children": Dr. Seuss' You're Only Old Once! and the Rise of Children's Literature for Adults
2. Off to Camp: Mabel Maney's The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse, the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, and Fanfiction
3. Material Matters: Art Spiegelman's In the Shadow of No Towers as a Board Book
4. Baby Talk: Barbara Park's MA! There's Nothing to Do Here!, Fetal Personhood, and Child Authorship
5. Learning Left from Right: Goodnight Bush, Don't Let the Republican Drive the Bus!, and the Broadside Tradition
6. Not Kidding Around: Go the F**k to Sleep and the New Adult Honesty about Parenthood
Conclusion. Both Radical and Reinforcing: The Complicated Cultural Significance of Children's Literature for Adults
Notes
Works Cited
Index