The article is devoted to the origins of children’s literature formation in Poland. The author examines the main genres and plot patterns that emerged in the creative work of the founders of Polish children’s literature: Klementyna z Tańskich Hoffmanowa and Stanisław Jachowicz. Thanks to their authority, didactic genres remained relevant throughout the entire XIX century, and many of the moral and ethical problems they touched upon were continued in the creative work of the next generations of children’s writers.