ABSTRACT
Folk-tales and epics have been told in Turkey as long as they have been told elsewhere and the humorous tales about the Hodja, for example, are enjoyed by children worldwide. The history of Turkish children's literature goes back to the Tanzimat' (Reform) period between 1839 and 1876, when Turkish society was Europeanised. Authors typical of this early period are Caylak Tevfik (1843–1892), Ahmet Mithat Efendi (1844–1912) and $emsettin Sami (1850–1904).
