ABSTRACT
In Portugal, as in other countries, the first books for children had their roots in the oral tradition. It is only later that English and French stories were translated. Books specifically aimed at young readers first appeared during the second half of the nineteenth century, and their authors all pursued the same ideal: always to teach something. In the last 150 years one can distinguish three main periods in this world of children's books: the early period, from the eighteenth century to the late 1920s; the period of the dictatorship, from 1928 to 1974, and from then on, when democracy made it possible for writers to work on topics previously considered as unacceptable.
