Final answer:
Metafiction is a technique where the narrator acknowledges the act of storytelling. Authors use it in children's literature to engage young readers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Metafiction is a literary technique where a story's narrator draws attention to the act of storytelling, making it explicit within the narrative. Authors use metafiction in children's literature to engage young readers by breaking the fourth wall and involving them in the storytelling process. For example, they may have characters who are aware that they are in a story or play with the idea of the author as a character within the story.