This chapter presents research exploring differences in adult–child discourse during shared reading of books featuring either human or animal protagonists. In the first study, pre-service teachers read books to second graders; in the second, parents read the books to two siblings. In both studies, the adults—educators and parents—read two books to the children. Both books address social scenarios (a birthday party and sibling relationships). In one book, the characters are human, and in the other, they are animals. The shared reading interactions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Findings from both studies reveal significant differences in the richness of the adult–child discourse between the two types of books. Books featuring human characters elicited richer discussions than those with animal characters. The chapter highlights the pivotal role of character attributes in shaping the nature of adult–child shared reading interactions and stresses the importance of learning.