The Big Smallness

This book explores the growing cadre of contemporary amateur-authored, independently-published, niche-market picture books. These texts embody a shift in how narratives for young people are being creatively conceived, materially constructed, and socially consumed in the US. Abate shows how these titles enter into ongoing partisan conflicts, while they are simultaneously changing the landscape of American children’s literature. Niche market picture books reflect public perceptions concerning children and the social construction of childhood, and offer insight into the complex interaction among American print culture, children’s reading practices, and consumer capitalism.