ABSTRACT
In recent years, there has been a great development in Chilean literature for young people, with the emergence of authors with new styles. The accompanying illustrations are of superb quality, and have become recognized internationally. However, children's literature has not always been this way. During the 19th century, children's literature was used didactically or for religious purposes, as children's books were used as tools for teaching morals and for their educational content, and books with artistic quality were not produced until the 20th century. During the 1960s and 1970s literature for children in Chile suffered a decline, partly due to the advent of television in 1964, and later from the military dictatorship, which commenced in 1973. In the 1980s Victor Carvajal, who came from a theater background, performed his work in Germany during his political exile from Chile. An innovative approach to nursery rhymes is evident in the work of Chilean writer María de la Luz Uribe.
