Children’s literature is a unique genre of literature that is specifically written with the needs and interests of children in mind. As a result, they are also marketed primarily to children and are selected by, read to and considered appropriate for children. As might be realized, the category of ‘children’ cannot possibly be considered as a single entity but must be broken up as a result of different abilities, both reading ability and external abilities as the children grow. Most publishers break up their children’s book segments by major age groups. These are typically considered in the three major blocks of 2-5 years old, 6-8 years old and 9-12 years old. Outside of these relatively formal definitions of children’s literature, there are several characteristics that one can look for as a means of identifying children’s literature. Children’s literature may include any of a number of characteristics but it is not necessarily limited to these characteristics nor is it necessary that a story involve all of these characteristics. Some similar traits among children’s stories include the probability that they are shorter than the typical adult book, they are often written in simple, broad language and they may include any number of illustrations to help tell the story. In addition, children’s stories usually involve a child protagonist pitted against some adult antagonist but are generally kept to relatively harmless themes reducing attention given to themes such as death, sex, war or violence in favor of themes that deal with growing up or the child’s journey into adulthood. These stories are usually very plot-oriented, full of a lot of dialogue and action as opposed to offering description or insightful reflection. The primary purpose of children’s literature emerges as being to teach the child something about the adult world and can therefore sometimes be a bit didactic, but they typically provide a happy ending. These characteristics can be traced through all three major age groups recognized by publishers as can be seen by looking at three representative examples: A Promise is a Promise by Robert Munsch, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Robert Munsch’s book A Promise is a Promise is a children’s book intended to appeal to young children at the younger end of the 6-8 year old age group or even younger. It is the story of a young Inuit girl who breaks a promise to her mother and goes fishing on the sea ice. She becomes a victim of the Qallupilluit, ice monsters who live under the ice and drag children who are not with their parents down under the ice. In order to save herself, Allashua promises the Qallupilluit that she will bring her brothers and sisters down to the ice if they will let her go. The monsters agree by reminding her that a promise is a promise, using the same words she had used when she told her mother she would stay off the sea ice. In order to save their children, the parents first attempt to reason with the monsters and then, when that doesn’t work, they trick them into a lively dance at the house while the children fulfill their promise and present themselves on the ice. Since the Qallupilluit are not there, they are not collected and are thus free to return to the shore. There are a number of ways in which this story falls squarely within the category of children’s literature. It is a very short book obviously intended for a very young audience. The book includes illustrations on eve