Writing and Publishing Trends for Children in Kenya

Throughout the world, children have been nurtured intellectually, socially and emotionally by use of narratives and fairy tales. Psychologists and sociologists have argued that the above methods of instruction are healthy for a child's growth. Bettelheim Bruno, an authoritative child psychologist, educationist and writer underscores the emotional and symbolic importance of fairy tales for children. He argues that, there is nothing as fulfilling and enriching for a child as good literature (Bettelheim 1976). According to him, if children could read and interpret fairy tales in their own way, they would get a greater sense of meaning and purpose (Bettelheim 1976). Traditionally, fairy tales were passed on to children through oral means in form of stories. Nowadays, the stories have been written down in form of children's books, and the term 'children's literature' has been coined to refer to these books. This paper presents an overview of children's literature in Kenya since the pre-colonial period to the present moment. This presentation is necessary to map out the trends that children's literature in Kenya has taken in the past and in the present, so that we can understand the shifts in terms of themes and styles.