"What an outstanding resource for teachers, parents, librarians, and student researchers, as well as any reader curious about children's and young adult's literature! Articles provide sufficient information in well-written and very readable text. An invaluable addition to any reference collection.' LIBRARY TALK & THE BOOK REPORT 'Based on five years of collaborative work by an international board, this encyclopedia represents the most comprehensive basic reference work on children's literature currently available...the well-written author and topical entries provide enough information to make this a good source for parents and librarians trying to assess the suitability of an author or topical area for a particular child....the inclusion of entries on illustrators is a welcome feature.' LIBRARY JOURNAL"

Bernice E. Cullinan is past president of the International Reading Association and the Reading Hall of Fame, and has received the Arbuthnot Award for Outstanding Teacher of Children's Literature. Diane G. Person is a children's librarian in the school and public-library worlds, and teaches children's literature on the university level. She has served on award committees for the IRA, ALA, and the NCTE.

One of the special features of The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature is the topical article. These include:; Adventure Stories, African American Literature, African Literature, American Library Association, Asian and Asian American Literature, Awards, The Bible in Children's Literature, Book Clubs for Children and Teachers, Book Design, Canadian Literature, Caribbean Literature, Comic Books and Graphic Novels, Critical Theorists, Crossovers, The Disabled in Children's Literature, Disney, Fairy Tales, The Holocaust, How-to Books, Humor, Illustration, Informational Books, Indian (East) Literature, Internet Resources, The Kerlan Collection, Latina/o Literature, Librarians and Publishing, Miniature Books, Mother Goose, Movable Books (Pop-up Books), Native American Literature, Picture Books, Publishers, Reading Rainbow and Children's Literature on Television, Research on Children's Literature, Science Fiction, Series Books, Translation, Young Adult Literature, and more.; Entries on individuals include:; Verna Aardema, Louisa May Alcott, Aliki, Hans Christian Andersen, Anno Mitsumasa, L. Frank Baum, Judy Blume, Gwendolyn Brooks, Marcia Brown, Joseph Bruchac, Randolph Caldecott, Carlo Collodi, Roald Dahl, Tomie dePaola, Dr. Seuss, Lois Ehlert, Paula Fox, Gail Gibbons, James Cross Giblin, Nikki Giovanni, Leah Goldberg, Virginia Hamilton, Robert A. Heinlein, Ezra Jack Keats, Rudyard Kipling, Madeleine L'Engle, Julius. Lester, C. S. Lewis, Mark Twain, Ann McGovern, John Newbery, Beatrix Potter, Raffi, Margret and H. A. Rey, Faith Ringgold, J. K. Rowling, Richard Scarry, Jon Scieszka, Maurice Sendak, Isaac Bashevis Singer, William Steig, The Stratemeyer Syndicate, Sir John Tenniel, J. R. R. Tolkien, Uchida Yoshiko, Cynthia Voigt, E. B. White, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Paul O. Zindel, and many others.