Swedish children's literature
The Swedish children's literature tradition was initiated by the Swedish-speaking Finn Zachris Topelius in the 19th century. It flourished at the dawn of the 20th century with Elsa Beskow (1874–1953), who wrote and illustrated some 40 children's stories between 1897–1952. Her books were beloved and have continued to be reprinted in Sweden and many other languages. In the 1930s a new awareness of children's needs emerged. It was realized that children did not only warrant disciplinary and moralizing literature, but also childlike books to foster their imagination. This manifested itself shortly after World War II, when Astrid Lindgren published Pippi Longstocking in 1945. Pippi's rebellious behavior initially sparked resistance among some defenders of cultural values, but her work was eventually accepted, and with that children's literature was freed from the obligation to promote moralism. Astrid Lindgren continued to publish many bestselling children's books, which eventually made her the most read Swedish author of all categories with over 100 million copies printed throughout the world, translated into over 80 languages. Lindgren showed in many other books her fine comprehension of childlike thought and values; in The Brothers Lionheart about death, as well as a tale of bravery; in Mio, My Son