A Review on Children's Literature in Afghanistan

| ABSTRACT Children's and adolescent literature have a long-life span in the history of mankind and is considered one of the major parts of the literature in every nation. Children's and teenagers' literature received worldwide attention from the 17th century AD. In the 18th century, scientists drew the attention of educators and people to children's literature by research publishing works. In our rich classical literature, there is not much research done on children's literature. However, various works have been done for children in recent years. The first children's magazine in Afghanistan was Siraj-ul-Atfal, which was published continuously with Siraj-ul-Akhbar. This magazine was mostly educational and entertaining, and most of its content was general information, scientific topics, religious and moral content in the form of poems and stories. After publishing the children literature in Siraj- ul-Akhbar, other publications also started about children's literature in Afghanistan, such as children’s friendship, youngs friendship, and children's voice. Some writers have also done research on children's literature in Afghanistan, such as Abdul


Introduction
Children's literature has a long history in the life of humans and forms a crucial part of a nation; the folklore and popular culture of a society are the beginning of the emergence of a nation's literature.In the same way, the basis and foundation of children's literature are songs, adventures, epics and romantic stories.We believe that children's literature has its origins as old as human existence on earth.Children's literature has played a role in our official literature since the beginning of writing the first Persian prose book called Shahnameh Abu Mansouri (Sifher, 2001: p. 26).But in our literary past, children have never had independent literature for themselves; they have been keeping up with the elders from the very beginning of their childhood, they have been working side by side with them in the mountains and fields, and in the school, they have Quran, Hafiz, Hundred Words and used to sing Golestan.The past generations tried to transfer their scientific experiences, cultural, and social achievements to the next generation, and one of the ways to transfer these assets was through literary and linguistic fields, which was possible in both oral and written ways.
The tradition of oral literature has given importance and a special position to children from the first moments of a child's life and has placed them on the path of necessary teachings.Almost most of the various stories and legends, as mythological achievements and popular literature and old anecdotes of official literature, have reached the special world of children until today; apart from these, motels, lullabies, riddles, superstitions and melodious and non-melodic games.It has always found its audience among minors and children.
Among the remaining works of pre-Islamic literature, aside from the legends, the narratives and semi-historical works such as Khudanameh, Yadgar Zariran and the story of Bahram Chobin are other works related to children's literature.In the literature of the Islamic period, in addition to epic collections and stories in verse, prose fiction works such as Samak Ayyar, Darabnameh and Totininameh; Collections of stories such as Kalileh, Demeneh, and Golestan are full of informative stories; moral and educational books; Like Qaboosnameh, Kimya Saadat and Naseri's Ethics have dealt with moral issues in a way that forms the background of children's literature.(Yahaqi, 1375: p. 238).
It should be mentioned that the first book for children was written by James Janiway between 1671 and 1672.Then, in 1678, John Banian wrote another book about moral and religious education.In the 18th century, effective steps were taken regarding children; in France, Paul Hazard published the book "Children and Men", and Jean-Jacques Rousseau published the book "Emile" in 1792, which caused revolutionary changes in the tendency and ideas of people and educators in relation to child education.From the 19th century onwards, changes took place in children's books and libraries for children were established.Finally, children's literature grew and expanded, and the 20th century became the century of children.(Khordkhord and Azarmekan, 2014: p. 2).

Background of the Study
In Dari Persian literature, very few works have been written on children's literature.Books and sources that express the status of children's literature are extremely rare.During the research on children's literature in Afghanistan, several book titles were available that were published in children's literature, but some of them are not available.Among others, we can mention these works: "Analytical History of Afghan Children's Literature" by Mohammad Fazel Sharifi; "Book and Child" and "About Children's Literature" by Seyyed Davoud Zahedi; "Aftab Baranak" a collection of poems for children by Raziq Royeen and "Children's Literature in Afghanistan" by Mohammad Fazel Sharifi.

Research Method
This study follows a library research.The article required the materials and sources of children's literature to be received from the library, analyzed, and reviewed.New sources have been used to collect the required data, and the data is described descriptively.
3. Identifying literary types in children's and teenagers' literature.

Significance and Importance
The children's literature of any nation constitutes the major and essential part of its literature; it is necessary that a child should be considered the future of a nation.Considering children's literature and providing the basis for the development of children's literature is actually paying attention to the future of a nation.In this sense, research on children's literature is necessary and is of great importance.

What is children's literature?
Children's literature is considered as the artistic efforts that are expressed in the form of words to guide the children towards growth, with the appropriate language and manner that is suitable for their understanding.Children's literature includes stories, poems, plays, legends, and stories as literature is how to interpret and express feelings, emotions and thoughts through words in various forms in the shape of articles and books.The book has a great influence on the child's personality and worldview and is actually the creator of their hopes and ideas.Through the book, the children see the face of the community and get to know the roles and methods they should take.In many cases, when a child reads a book, he or she identifies with the character, theme, or event that happened in the middle of the book.
The child's interest in the type of thinking, emotions and behaviors of the characters in the book allows him to participate in the experience of those characters on some levels and attribute their beliefs, thoughts and emotions to himself; this process will lead to the social development of the children.
Children's social development is closely related to children's literature, and it is not possible to strengthen children's positive and social behaviors directly or through advice.Rather, presenting suitable models in practice or through attractive characterizations in stories, poems, and anecdotes has more impact in this field, and this effectiveness is possible if the creators of children's works know about the stages of moral development of children and the motivations of children in performing behaviors.Be familiar with social and moral.(Zahirinav and Rajabi, 1389: pp.161-162).
Children's literature has two branches: one is literature for children, and the other is literature by children.Literature for children is literature created by adults for children, and literature by children is literature created by children themselves.The most important manifestation of this kind of literature is the spoken literature offered by them, Like poems, group rhyme games and songs, which are called (children's literature); therefore, children's literature should be considered a collection of artistic creations (written) and spoken (folklore) by children or adults, depending on the children, and created in harmony with children's language.Regarding the language of children's literature, it should be said that some people think that poetry is for children; that is, simple and familiar words should be used for children, while simple language only helps in conveying the understanding of the content of the writings.
But the art of children's poetry and stories is in cultivating images that are not annoying, unfamiliar and unacceptable in their fantasy world.It should be remembered that in children's literature, one should avoid the use of complicated words, problems, long and complex sentences, and tireless image arrays, and the words of the child's mother tongue should be used more because every story and poem written for children is for success.Tomorrow's spirituality is a seed that is sown in the child's body (Royin, 1388: pp. 15-17).On the other hand, every teacher, poet and children's writer should be familiar with the psychology of children in order to consider their psychological and environmental reactions in creating works for children.

Objectives and Characteristics of Children's Literature
There are three important characteristics of children's and teenagers' literature: 1. Using language and expression, the ability to understand written language is proportional to the imagination and experiences of children and adolescents.In this sense, for each age group of children and teenagers, suitable texts for their understanding are used.
2. It helps in developing children's character.
3. The one who considers the importance of the image and life for the child equal to the importance of writing and always expresses a part of the message with the help of the image.

Goals that are usually considered for children's literature, education or entertainment or a mixture of the two are listed below:
1-Preparing the child to know, love and build the environment.
2-Introducing the child to himself, creating respect for human authenticity and the desire to constantly improve.
3-Being fun and enjoyable, the best thoughts and topics will never have the necessary influence if they are not presented to the child in an entertaining way; 4-Making the child interested in studying and creating a habit; 5-Creating and strengthening peace in the world.(Anousheh, 1381: p. 59)

Children's Literature in Afghanistan
Unfortunately, it must be said that until now, no extensive and worthwhile efforts have been made regarding the literature of children and teenagers.It is possible to find a few functional roles that have been addressed with awareness and in a scientific way to the issue of children's and teenagers' literature.In rich classical literature, children's literature has not had much leaf and load.However, in recent years, various works have been done on book covers and editing of poetry and story books for children.
In Afghanistan, since the beginning of the 20th century, after the establishment of the government of Amir Habibullah, Allameh Mahmoud Tarzi brought innovations to children's literature in the field of education by publishing the newspaper Siraj Al-Akhbar.Different communities were aware of the developments in different fields, including children's literature and the way of seeing children's literature in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; for this reason, they tried to publish the newspaper Siraj Al-Akhbar so that children's literature in Afghanistan became official and the personality of children officialized (Sharifi, 1389: p. 30).
The first children's magazine in Afghanistan, called "Siraj al-Ifat", was published in 1918/1297 AD, attached to "Siraj al-Khabar."This magazine was mostly educational and entertaining for Afghan children.Most of its content consisted of general information, scientific topics, religious and moral content in the form of poems and stories, and most of these contents were written for children with simple and fluent expressions.This magazine was published continuously with Siraj Al-Akhbar magazine; However, it was an independent publication, and those interested could obtain it separately.
The publication of Siraj al-Itfal was stopped after the publication of issue number eight, and after that, instead of Siraj al-Akhbar, the magazine "Aman Afghan" was published under the editorship of Abdul Hadi Dawi Parshan, and once again "Siraj al-Itfal" was published continuously with Aman Afghan.Later, magazines (Maktab, Ma'raf, and Tolo Afghan) were published, which contained scientific, literary, and educational articles for teachers and students (Poik, 2012: pp. 20-21).It is worth mentioning that the abovementioned teachings from the point of view of their content and the way their writers, like our previous contemporaries, had the idea to write or sing admonitions for children, and they have considered the worthiness of the child in obedience, following the way, knowledge and being in the ritual and depending on the ideas of the elders.
After the publication of Siraj al-Atfal magazine, in the period after the thirties, other publications also started working in the field of children's literature, such as Da Kochneyano Jagh and Anis Atfal.
The content of these publications, like the previous periods, revolves around the thinking and thoughts of the past, where less attention had been paid to the needs and wishes of the children.For example, in the publication "De kochaniano Ghej", most of the stories and writings are by famous writers such as Abdul Rahman Pajhwok, Dr. Abdul Ahmed Javed and others were written with their writing coordinates, and they did not pay much attention to the child's expression, language and world.But in the following years, writers appeared who understood children's literature as it is, and interesting songs and texts were remembered, among which we can mention Muhammad Asif Mayel, who wrote very useful books for teaching the alphabet and reading.He composed Dari using examples and educational messages for grades 1 to 6.In Asif Mayel's poems and songs, it is believed that he valued childhood and considered the needs and desires of children.
It is worth mentioning that from the thirties to the seventies, educational stories, folklore songs and poetry collections in the field of children's literature were published in Dari and Pashto languages in the country.More articles in the field of children's literature have been published in the magazines and publications of Erfan, Zayvon, Khorasan, Anis and Sabavon.(Sharifi, 1389: pp.34-38) Also, from the 1960s to the 1970s, children's literature became more political because, during this period, the publishing of books came under the influence of the government; it is clear that Writers, poets and politicians who supported such works were satisfied with their publication and distribution; therefore children and teenagers could not establish a stable and dynamic relationship with these works.
During the years (1360-1371), the children's literature section was active in the Afghan Writers' Association, which has written or translated works in the field of children's literature, children's literature theory, and children's folklore literature, and among those who have written works in this regard, we can mention: Abdul Qayyum Quyim, Mohammad Hossein Yamin, Paizi Hanafi, Habibullah Rafi, Dr Asadollah Khatif, Seyed Davoud Zahdi, Pooya Faryabi, Asif Behand, Raziq Varin, Osman Najand and others whose works were published in the magazines (Folklore, People's Culture, Literature, Khorasan and Jivon) has been published.
In addition, the magazines (Pishahang, Jahan Mozada and Roshank) were published, in which the works of Raziq Rouyin, Abdul Ghafoor Raheel, Naser Tahouri and Fazl Haq Fikrat were published.In general, it can be said that the history of official children's literature has been formed and matured since (1370-1330) and their age has been considered in the creation of literary works.
After the seventies, the period of war and destruction began in the country, and children, their dreams and their most natural rights fell out of consideration; since this period, children's literature and children's dreams have been less discussed.From time to time, Anis Mozada was published in Kabul, and Rangin Kaman, Soroush Children's and some other magazines were published abroad.(Ibid.: pp.43-46).
After the changes of 2010, the environment and opportunities for publishing and cultural activities in the country were once again favorable; the Anis Mozada magazine resumed its publications and the following publications: Rozengai Zindagi, Tarbiat and Roshni) began to operate, along with that, poetry collections and story books were published, although some of these publications look at the child and his world with the same old perspective; However, from these works, we can observe new horizons and openings for a better future for children in the publications and works of recent years.(Sharifi, 2016: p. 204).
Among the literary creators who have shined well in the field of children's literature after 1380 and have left lasting works are Razagh Royein, Gholam Haider Yeganeh, Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi, Soraya Rahimi, Parveen Pajhwok, Shafiqa Yarqin, Aziz He named Asoudeh, Sami Hamed, Nafsieh Khunnasib, Soraya Mostahzadeh and some others.Now, we name some works that have been published in the field of children's literature since the eighties.
-Small bird and the birth of a butterfly, two collections of children's poetry, Nafsiyeh Khushnasib, Kabul 2011.
-A collection of poems for children, "Let's pick flowers", Afghanistan Cooperation Center, Kabul, 2013 -Be a bird.A collection of poems and paintings for children, Herat, 2016.

Prose works
-The collection of stories (There was and was not under the blue sky) and (Me and Nehal), Parvin Pajhwok, online site.
-I am also a girl, little hero Jack Jacko (comics).Soraya Mustahabzadeh.
-Arash's adventures, a novel for children and teenagers; The story of Arash's adventures, Parvin Pajhwok, 2015.
-Green Fairy and Yellow Fairy for children; the daughter of the sun and the black demon; There was no Bodegar Bode (story collections for Atqal), Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi, 1381.In the last decade, more attention has been paid to the field of children's literature than in previous years, so in libraries, a separate section is dedicated to children's books.Many children's story books can be found on the Internet, and fiction and educational books are also available in bookstores.It is sold to children.In the library of Kabul University, the department of the Afghanistan Information Center, there are original versions of books for children and adolescents, which were previously available for free download on the ACKU website.
In 2015, Siddiqa Rahimi said about the best-selling fiction books published by Siraj Publishing and Children's Publishing the fiction books How zebras became striped, Little mouse and his friends please, The Adventures of Nagin and Negar written by Seyyed Hamed Hosseini; Behind Qaf Mountain; The story of Aceh and Peshk; the lion and the Rabbit; A shirt made of fish scales and a duck's mistake are among the children's books that have had many fans, and this is proof that considerable attention is paid to writing children's stories and children's literature in the last decade compared to before.

Translation of children's works from other languages into Dari language
Another thing that has been very effective in publishing works for children is the translation movement.During recent decades, many works from foreign languages have been translated into the Dari language, which has added to the richness of Afghan children's literature.Today, no nation alone is able to continue cultural and social life, and if it avoids interaction with the achievements of other societies, it will stay away from human civilization.The translation of cultural and social works of different societies makes it possible for each nation to reach new beliefs through recognizing the values of others.
Literary translation does not only require knowing a language and having a suitable dictionary but also having a literary taste, a correct literary understanding of the original text, matching the spirit of the translator with the work, being familiar with proverbs and interpretations, and familiarity with old and new vocabulary.Scientists believe that a child cannot understand issues as well as adults because understanding life issues requires going through complex issues that a child must.The duty of translators of children's books is to understand the needs of childhood and act according to their childhood characteristics, and children's and adolescent literature should be in harmony with their language, imagination, experiences and how they grow.(Abbasi and others, 2014: pp.pp.26-28).
In one of the internet sites called Kitabak, under the title (support of world literature for the suffering children of Afghanistan), several books translated by authors who have written stories for Afghan children have been introduced.Deborah Ellis is one of the authors.She wrote the book (Kabul Children and the three-volume collection of Kabuli girls)."Kabuli Children" contains several brief narratives quoted from Kabuli teenagers, and the audience of this book can be teenagers and adults.The book "Kabuli Girls' Trilogy" (Nan Avar, Safarparvanheei and Shahr Goli) includes three volumes translated by Shamila Atzirban.Also, the book "Sunless Displaced Person" by Mohammad Hadi Mohammadi is also introduced on this site, and the book "No! School is not your place" written by Inguid Toboa and translated by Mozhgan Hosseini Rozbahani is also among the books written about Afghan children not going to school.Is. (Khalilian, 1402).
There is also a book translation group for Afghan children called "Gahwarah".About this group one of the translators and editors of this site, named Hazrat Vahriz, has said that this group was formed by four young people named Zabih Mehmadi, Naveed Siddiqui, Mehdi Nayab and Farishte Mehdi, who are in Canada.America, Great Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Russia, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Finland have members who have translated about seventy stories into Dari, Pashto, Uzbek and Turkmen languages.
This website translates books that are useful in knowing the world and the values of life for Afghan children.https://sputnik.afConsidering the works done in the last decade, it can be said that Afghan children's literature is in a relatively better condition, and many works have been published inside and outside the country for Afghan children, which is a source of hope for the improvement of literature culture children and attention to their education and training.

Literary genres of children's literature
Children's literature includes stories, tales, fables, anecdotes, chistans, folk songs and lullabies, drama and poetry, and is intensively discussed under the title of "children's literature" and generally includes two types of prose and poetry.For the purpose of better explanation, we will discuss each of these types in detail.

The story
One of the tools for teaching thinking to children is the story; the use of the story provides the opportunity for the children to discuss important ideas with each other.Interest in stories and reading stories is natural; just as we need air, water, sleep and food to live, we also need stories.The story can create an imaginary world as a subject of intellectual exploration Because the story has an intelligent structure that frees us from the here and now, expresses the normal course of events and, is a means to understand the world and oneself and accommodates human concerns.In other words, the different semantic and conceptual layers in the stories help the reader to gain a new insight into various life issues.One of the functions of the story is to raise questions in the reader's mind and target beliefs, beliefs, right and wrong in human relationships.Therefore, the story stimulates the child's thinking and imagination.Collective story reading can encourage his participation and encourage him to think about the different events of the story, find a solution and put himself in the position of the character of the story.A good story can create motivation and interest in a child and attract his attention and focus so that he can apply what he has learned in real life.(Rashtchi, 1389: pp.27-29) Therefore, the story is the best format for clarifying children's minds, learning better, developing thinking, identifying the environment and community, and preparing children for social and communal living.For further explanation, we bring an example of a short story.

Barfo, Barfak, Barfi
In a small, snow-covered, snow-covered hut, baby rabbits lived with their mother on one of the cold winter days when the snow was everywhere and everything was white.He said happily to the others, hahaha, what nice weather!Barfu said: Let's go out and have a walk.Barfak said: "It's good that our mother is in the kitchen too, and we don't know about it."They all said in unison that let's go.At the same time, their mother had heard their words from the kitchen, entered the room and said: "Going out on such a day is a fool's errand; there are many big dogs outside, and they will get stuck and eat the children.I will be back soon, their mother."He said this and returned to the kitchen.The children looked out of Kalkin again and, got excited and winked at each other and slowly jumped out of the house.They were running around on the snow; in the meantime, Snowflake noticed a big dog hiding behind a tree, looking at them and wanting to attack them.Suddenly, a crow crowed from the top of the tree; when The dog noticed the top of the tree, Barfi, Farfak and Barfu, who were very scared, used the time to run away with agility and speed and reached home.Their mother was happy to see her children, and they spent the morning breakfast happily.Their mother told them stories about the consequences of such deaf talk, and they promised not to disobey their mother's talk anymore.(Danesh, 1354: p. 17).

Short Story
A story for a child is like the necessary and necessary food that it needs.The story teaches the child that the world of adults is full of dangers and accidents.Through the story, the child learns how to deal with problems and hardships.Just as psychologically, children are different from each other; stories are also different in their kind, so children imagine themselves in the role of one of the heroes of the story.Choosing a story for children is very important; a story that is good, appropriate and artistic, told to the child, can have a lot of power and remain for the sake of the child.Sit on his heart; Make his eyes and then his mind strong.(Zahdi, 1367: pp.35 and 110) Telling stories to children helps to increase their knowledge, and since it is close to the child's nature, it makes the subject and content attractive and lovely and stimulates their natural desires and emotions.It increases their desire to learn.Education through storytelling makes the material alive, exciting and attractive, and as a result, education is combined with love and intimacy.(Sajjodi, 2017: p. 36) An example of a story for children.

The Story of Rabbit and Turtle
Once upon a time, in a beautiful green meadow, many animals were living.Among them was a rabbit who thought he was smarter and cleverer than everyone else.One day, while the animals were playing entertainment while, the rabbit said, "These games are a waste of time.Let's have a competition; who is ready to challenge me?"The turtle, knowing that the rabbit was very proud and selfish, said, "I am ready."The rabbit laughed at the turtle's response, and the other animals who were present there laughed too because they knew the rabbit is very fast and the turtle is very slow.
The fox said to the turtle, "Are you sure you can compete with the rabbit?"The turtle replied confidently, "Yes, I am sure."The fox suggested, "Let's start from here.Whoever reaches the tree on top of the hill first will be the winner.Are you ready?"The rabbit, who was prepared, stood still and, with a few high jumps, quickly moved away from there.The turtle also started running, but his steps were short, and he was going very slowly.The fox, the squirrel, and the other animals said, "Go faster, turtle!See where the rabbit has reached."However, the turtle that knew the rabbit well was not worried at all.He was certain of his victory.He continued running steadily towards the tree on top of the hill.
The rabbit, who had become proud of his fast pace and high jumps, halfway through the race looked back and saw that the turtle was still at the beginning of the path.He thought to himself, "It will take him a long time to reach here.I can lie down and rest on this green grass."When the turtle reaches here, I will get up, and with a few high jumps, I will reach the tree."The rabbit stretched out and fall asleep, and what a deep sleep it was.
But the turtle, with his slow and steady steps, reached the rabbit and passed him, continuing on his way.Some time passed, and the turtle reached the top of the hill, right next to the tree and the end of the road.Suddenly, the rabbit woke up from his sleep and looked down the road.He wanted to see where the turtle had reached, but he couldn't see the turtle.He looked up to the tree on top of the hill, and there stood the turtle, waving his hand to the animals that were at the bottom of the hill.That day, all the animals saw that the turtle had won.Regret was not useful, so the rabbit understood that he should not be proud and belittle others.

Mythology
Mythologies, which are the vast collective treasure of different lands and eras, have had the most significant and profound influence on children's literature.Due to its educational and developmental dimensions, it can be considered a significant part of children's literature.Its wide range of effects has made mythology highly valued as an oral tradition in children's literature since ancient times.The functions of mythology for children include fostering imagination, helping children overcome psychological tensions during their growth and transmitting positive values related to social integration, preserving cultural heritage, and enhancing understanding of various cultures, literature, arts, and national spirits.
Mythology holds great importance in shaping a nation's culture and identity, which is reflected in the writing of contemporary stories based on myths.Mythology differs from other types of literature for the child audience, and its characteristics need to be examined and approached differently.Criteria should be considered when selecting and choosing mythology for children and adolescents.These criteria include the characters and their characteristics in the mythology, the time and place of the myth's occurrence, the plot and themes, and the social, ethical, and cultural values it conveys.The purpose of defining these criteria is to evaluate myth narratives and how they are transmitted to children and adolescents in order to guide children's morality toward the appropriate direction (Najat, 2015, p. 80).
Here is an example of a children's Myth.
The Little Bird and the Chain of Giving Forty little birds in a single nest, I the bread to the wise and grand, Who, in return, offered knowledge in hand I read the books, I finished them all, And God, in His grace, answered my call.

Fable
One of the most prolific literary genres in prose and even a significant portion of Persian poetry is the fable.Many traditional Persian literature books are composed of collections of fables, and in many others, fables or tales are mentioned according to the subject matter.The purpose of a fable is to convey a moral and a lesson.So, this literary genre is considered beneficial for children, and in classical works of the Dari language, numerous fables have been used to teach morals, ethics, and wisdom to children.One of the characteristics of fables that encourage children to read them is their brevity.This quality helps children grasp the underlying meaning of the fable and understand its message and inner content.The content of most fables dedicated to children includes the following issues: alertness in difficult times, generosity when possessing wealth, treating subordinates kindly, defending what is right, respecting the elders, and the benefits of acquiring knowledge and wisdom.
Therefore, it is necessary for parents and educators to make great use of fables in promoting behavior ethics and acquiring positive education.To illustrate the subject further, we have selected a fable from "Golestan Saadi," which is intended for young audiences.

Fable:
A merchant incurred a loss of a thousand dinars.He said to his son, "Do not mention this matter to anyone."The son replied, "Father, your command is right.I will not tell someone, but May I ask what benefit is in concealing it?Father said that the advantage of hiding something is to prevent two calamities: the loss of the capital and the ridicule of the neighbors?""Do not discuss your affairs with your enemies so the show grief while they are happy

Chistan
The literary genre of "Chistan" forms a significant part of our folklore literature.This genre is adorned with peculiar expressions and literary imagery, making it a captivating topic for children and adolescents.Children's chistans are used to explore the limits of their imaginative minds, expand their imaginative abilities, and enhance their perception through comparing unreal metaphors with real-life situations.Through chistans, children become amazed by their complexity, hidden meanings, and unraveling mysteries which helps their minds and thinking abilities grow.Children's chistans are usually presented in a rhythmic and poetic form to engage children's interest and facilitate their assimilation.To provide further clarity, here are some examples of chistans: *The sun rises even without the crowing of a rooster.

Theater
Theater plays a significant role in shaping the identity of children and adolescents in today's world, and it remains the most refined form of language and literature.Theater can be considered a joint product of literature and performing arts, where the writer, through the behavior and dialogue of the characters, expresses their ideals.(Bani Asadi and others., 2015: p. 331).One of the social values gained from theatrical games is socialization.Through theater, children take their first steps towards socializing and learn to cooperate and collaborate with a group.Theatrical games rescue children from depression and isolation, leading to their active participation and involvement in social groups.Furthermore, children can learn positive behavioral ideas and adaptability through theater and demonstrate appropriate responses to the pressures of life (Lezgi & Manfardi, 1389: p. 76).It can be said that children learn about life, actions, and consequences, as well as the customs and beliefs of others and themselves through theater, resulting in learning through doing, seeing, and experiencing.

Children's Poetry
Children's poetry is a rhythmic and beautiful form of expression, both in terms of sound composition and content.Children's poetry is built on the foundation of musical words and sounds and serves as a means for children to play, move, and sing.It is best for children's poetry to be short, joyful, and enthusiastic.The brevity of the poem can be the most significant incentive to create children's interest in poetry.If these poems are read aloud to children, it will generate their enthusiasm for poetry.It can be said that children come alive through poetry, provided that children's poetry contains childlike concepts rather than moral lessons for adults.Therefore, a children's poet must have a thorough understanding of education, psychology, and all the needs and desires of children (Kherad khorde & Azarmakan, 1394: pp.4-5).
Regarding the form of children's poetry, it should be noted that some poets compose poetry for children in the form of ghazal (traditional Persian poetic form); however, the predominant forms in children's poetry are quatrain and Mathnawi (a form of poetry with rhyming couplets).The mathnawi form, due to the repetition of the rhyme in each line, creates music and is adopted by poets for this reason.It should be noted that simplicity of language is more important in children's poetry.Only poets who pay attention to simplicity can create good poetry.Furthermore, the language of children's poetry is colloquial, and popular songs have a significant influence on the construction of children's poetry.In terms of form and content, children's poetry is influenced by popular songs (same source: pp.8-10).Children's poetry should possess a childlike sensibility and draw from their experiences so that children can comprehend the meaning of the poem and incorporate it into their own personality.As an example, we present the following poem by Raziq Ruyin.

Conclusion:
Children's literature is a collection of artistic creations that are expressed in a language and style suitable and comprehensible to guide children towards growth.The purpose of children's literature is to stimulate children's interest in reading, familiarize them with various aspects of life, make their time more productive, uncover their mental talents, and enhance their awareness and social development.In the past, children did not have independent literature of their own and extensive efforts have not been made regarding children's and young adult literature until now.In classical literature, there is less emphasis on scientific knowledge and addressing the issue of children's and young adult literature.However, the situation of children's literature has relatively improved in contemporary times, and numerous initiatives have been undertaken in recent years regarding children's poetry.The first children's literature magazine in Afghanistan, called "Saraj al-Atfal," was established in 1918.
This magazine primarily had educational and entertaining content for Afghan children, presented in a simple and understandable language.After Saraj al-Atfal, other magazines such as "Maktab," "Ma'rif-i Ma'arif," and "Tulu-e Afghanistan" were also published, providing scientific, literary, and educational articles for teachers and students.In the 1930s, other publications in the field of children's literature emerged, such as "Dukhmianu Anis," "Dukhuchanianu Anis," "Anis-i Atfal," and "Da khuchanianu Ghazh."It should be noted that the various literary forms in children's literature include poetry and prose texts, encompassing stories, tales, legends, anecdotes, puzzles, songs and lullabies, plays, and poetry.Collectively, these forms fall under the category of "children's literature" and are discussed as such.Each of these literary forms contains valuable content for children and has a significant impact on their intellectual growth, critical thinking, moral, social, and cultural development, better learning of academic and life-related issues, and understanding their environment and society.Reading and learning various literary forms of children's literature also strengthen children's writing and speaking skills and prepare them for a cohesive and social life.
offered them grain, bit by bit, the best.No one had tasted such a delightful treat, A spoonful of barley, a farmer's sweet feat.The barley I gave to Asia, my friend, Asia turned it into flour, I comprehend.The flour I gave to the baker so fair, Who transformed it into dough with great care To the baker, I gave the dough divine, And he baked it into bread, oh so fine.

4. 1 Father
My sweet father, I see you every meal and morning You told stories of flowers, gardens, spring Stories of flowing water and riverbanks Each word of yours became a lesson for me it brought a smile back to my lips My comfort in life comes from you my fortune and perseverance come from you I love you, the shadow of my life I love you, the essence of my existence (Rooyin, 1400, p. 23).
If conscience is wounded, it cannot be easily healed.-Folk Songs and Lullabies for Children A song is a short composition that is harmonized with one of the musical melodies.Usually (Tasnif, Du biety, or Rubai) also called Songs.Songs are categorized based on their content and expression into various types, including romantic, social, philosophical, national, patriotic, humorous, promotional, childhood and folk songs.Folk songs are the foundation of other songs.Children's songs, such as lullabies, are part of this realm (Anosha: 1381.P 338).Lullabies are one of the types of folk songs and are considered the most primitive form of literature.Lullabies have a long history in human civilization.The importance of lullabies lies in their use in caring for children, reducing their tension, and helping them sleep peacefully in their cradles.(Fazaeli, 1392: p. 133) Songs not only provide sweetness and musical pleasure but also play a key role in the intellectual growth and development of children.They familiarize children with traditional words and vocabulary deeply rooted in culture.Furthermore, songs have a valuable role in enhancing children's listening skills.Songs strengthen a child's memory and assist in learning rhythmic sentences.They also introduce children to the world of imaginative storytelling through language.Below is an example of a colloquial folk song and a mother's lullaby.