Pterry's word is of course final. But I do honestly think it's not what is commonly regarded as a children's story nowadays. Sure in the overall ideas and all it's like a children's story, but it goes far far darker in places than children's stories do now. It's much more akin to an old style traditional European folk tale, before they were seriously sanitised and marketed more at children. When I was posting about it last night on Facebook I did warn that I don't think it's suitable for very little ones to watch. Because ostensibly you'd think based on the marketing it is. But then it goes to some really really grim places.