Children's Literature Genres

This type of story has highly exaggerated characters, settings, or events, has achievements of the hero that are focused, and is linked to historical time period.

• Folktale

• Tall Tale

• Myth

• Fairytale

Often teaches a lesson or explains natural actions or events

• Folktale

• Tall Tale

• Myth

• Legend

Often based in historical facts with unbelievable parts added to the story

• Myth

• Tall Tale

• Legend

• Folktale

This type of story has characters that are gods and goddesses, has explanations for natural actions and events, and has a lesson about good or bad behavior.

• Legend

• Fairytale

• Folktale

• Myth

Bonus: Which of the following is a characteristic of a tall tale?

• follows a quest, or journal of a hero who has incredible strength and courage

• uses exaggeration to emphasize the abilities of the hero

This type of story is a short story that teaches a lesson, has few characters that are animals that show human characteristics, and use trickery.

• Fable

• Fairytale

• Tall Tale

• Leng

This type of story has a moral or lesson, has animal characters, has words or phrases that are repeated, and different cultures have different versions of the same story.

• Fable

• Fairytale

• Folktale

• Myth

This type of story is set long ago, came from a culture that told it orally over time, holds valuable meaning to that culture, and tells how something came to be.

• Myth

• Legend

• Folktale

• Tall Tale

Bonus: Which of the following is a characteristic of a fable?

• has a moral that is directly stated at the end of the story that is indirectly communicated through what happens in the story

• tells about a hero that has unusual powers

What is a folktale?

• A short story that has been passed down from generation to generation

• a life lesson that teaches right from wrong

• the main character, or hero in a story

• a story that explains something about the world such as frightening or mysterious natural forces and usually involves god and goddesses