In literature for children there are many important names:

Charles Perrault:

French poet and writer Charles Perrault was born on January 12, 1628, in Paris, France. Though he began his career as a lawyer in charge of royal buildings, by around 1660, Perrault had earned a positive reputation for his poetry. In 1671, he worked in the Académie Française, and played a prominent role in a literary controversy known as the dispute between the Ancients and Moderns. Perrault is perhaps best known for his Mother Goose fairy stories, including Little Red Riding Hood and Puss in Boots, which he wrote for his children. Perrault died on May 16, 1703, in Paris, France.

Grimm Brothers:

The Brothers Grimm (German: Brüder Grimm or Die Gebrüder Grimm), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), were Germanic academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who together collected folklore. They are among the most well-known storytellers of European folk tales, and their work popularized such stories as "Cinderella" (Aschenputtel), "The Frog Prince" (Der Froschkönig), "Hansel and Gretel" (Hänsel und Gretel), "Rapunzel", "Rumpelstiltskin" (Rumpelstilzchen), and "Snow White" (Schneewittchen). Their first collection of folk tales, Children's and Household Tales (Kinder- und Hausmärchen), was published in 1812.

The popularity of the Grimms' collected folk tales endured well beyond their lifetimes. The tales are available in more than 100 translations and have been adapted to popular Disney films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. In the mid-20th century the tales were used as propaganda by the Third Reich; later in the 20th century psychologists such as Bruno Bettelheim reaffirmed the value of the work, in spite of the cruelty and violence in the original versions of some of the tales that were sanitized.

Hans Christian Andersen:

Born in a slum in 1805, Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen achieved worldwide fame for his highly original and innovative fairy tales. Many of his classics, including The Ugly Duckling and The Princess and the Pea, remain popular with adults and children worldwide. He died in 1875.

Best known for Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen wrote many books and plays, but he is best known and loved for his innovative fairy tales.

References:

Charles Perrault. (2012). Biography.com. Retrieved 06:59, oct 29, 2012 fromhttp://www.biography.com/people/charles-perrault-9438047

Hans Christian Andersen. (2012). Biography.com. Retrieved 07:02, oct 29, 2012 from http://www.biography.com/people/hans-christian-andersen-9184146

(2012). Grimm Brothers. [ONLINE] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers_Grimm. [Last Accessed 29 October 2012]
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