The contemporary book market offers many fairy tales with the term "therapeutic", which is associated with the risk of overusing this term by some authors. Therefore, it is worth systematizing the knowledge about the criteria that a therapeutic fairy tale should meet. This is the main goal of the study, which is a review in nature. It characterizes therapeutic fairy tales and systematizes their components that determine the uniqueness of this work based on the confrontation of the thoughts of selected authors who can be considered authorities in this field. It was noted that a therapeutic fairy tale must simultaneously meet literary criteria and contain therapeutic techniques for the young reader. Due to the great demand for the use of therapeutic fairy tales in the upbringing of children experiencing various difficulties, it is also possible for parents, educators, psychologists or therapists to create such works on their own. Interested readers will find in this article a compendium of knowledge and tips on the essence and uniqueness of therapeutic fairy tales.
Gabriela Anna Nieśpiałowska (2025) studied this question.