Maps in children's literature: Their uses, forms, and functions

Despite their prevalence in books across genres and ages, the maps accompanying children's literature have received very little analysis. Examining these maps functionally exposes the complexity and range of the cartographies and maps included in children's fiction; in fact, comparative and descriptive cartography reveal their scope and breadth. This study presents a typology that categorizes these maps into those containing simple routes or mental maps establishing a child's place in the world, those with maps driving plot, and those with multifaceted maps reflecting whole worlds and cultures. No matter the category, all add to the work, drawing the reader into the story and enriching the experience.