ABSTRACT
In its early stages of development, children's literature was closely associated with religion; it had a strong didactic purpose and was influenced by religious requirements and perceptions. The production of manuscripts and early printed books was a costly business and the products far too valuable to be purely for children's entertainment. Formal provision for the acquisition of literacy developed in conjunction with religious institutions and it is not surprising, therefore, that the earliest children's books were intended to propound and support prevailing beliefs. Although children's books gradually became less overtly didactic, they have continued to prescribe what are regarded as morally and socially acceptable behaviour and attitudes. Even as the barriers around topics previously considered unsuitable for books for young people have been pushed back, ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ have continued to be clearly signalled.
