Biography and autobiography Poetry and verse. By age category[edit] The criteria for

By genre[edit]
A literary genre is a category of literary compositions. Genres may be determined by technique, tone, content, or length. According to Anderson,[38] there are six categories of children's literature (with some significant subgenres):
Picture books, including concept books that teach the alphabet or counting for example, pattern books, and wordless books.
Traditional literature, including folktales, which convey the legends, customs, superstitions, and beliefs of people in previous civilizations. This genre can be further broken into subgenres: myths, fables, legends, and fairy tales
Fiction, including fantasy, realistic fiction, and historical fiction
Non-fiction
Biography and autobiography
Poetry and verse.
By age category[edit]
The criteria for these divisions are vague, and books near a borderline may be classified either way. Books for younger children tend to be written in simple language, use large print, and have many illustrations. Books for older children use increasingly complex language, normal print, and fewer (if any) illustrations. The categories with an age range are listed below:
Picture books, appropriate for pre-readers or children ages 0–5.
Early reader books, appropriate for children ages 5–7. These books are often designed to help a child build his or her reading skills.
Chapter book, appropriate for children ages 7–12.
Short chapter books, appropriate for children ages 7–9.
Longer chapter books, appropriate for children ages 9–12.
Young-adult fiction, appropriate for children ages 12–18.
Illustration[edit]

Pictures have always accompanied children's stories.[8]:320 A papyrus from Byzantine Egypt, shows illustrations accompanied by the story of Hercules' labors.[39] Modern children's books are illustrated in a way that is rarely seen in adult literature, except in graphic novels. Generally, artwork plays a greater role in books intended for younger readers (especially pre-literate children). Children's picture books often serve as an accessible source of high quality art for young children. Even after children learn to read well enough to enjoy a story without illustrations, they continue to appreciate the occasional drawings found in chapter books.


A late 18th-century reprint of Orbis Pictus by Comenius, the first children's picture book.
According to Joyce Whalley in The International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature, "an illustrated book differs from a book with illustrations i