This brief children's literature text for pre-service teachers emphasizes the love of literature in the belief that literature is not just something children read or study; it is something that becomes part of them and stays with them for a lifetime. It contains up-to-the-minute treatments of all genres of children's literature. To help readers discover the joy of children's literature and how to help others share that joy is a major goal of the book. The emphasis is on the affective dimensions of literature, geared toward children's aesthetic responses to the stories and poems that they read. Author profiles, a multicultural focus, topical book lists, and a chapter on technology are elements that help students. Each chapter has an essay written by a scholar, a classroom teacher, or other expert (e.g., a middle school student or book editor) who has special knowledge, a particular perspective, or point of view on the chapter topic. Three four-color inserts illustrate the children's books discussed in the text.