The 1924 brochure mentions that Zonneschijn intended to provide young people with good reading and give Dutch writers and illustrators the opportunity to publish their work. In time, a number of magazines (among which Kie-ke-boe, Voor ’t jonge volkje and Voor de kinderkamer) were added, enabling the publishers to enlarge the original target group of 7-to-12-year-olds to a broader group of children between 3 and 15 years.

During the first years, Zonneschijn was mainly devoted to stories and serials about children’s adventures, the life of animals or imaginary worlds. There were also stories about the Dutch East Indies and other peoples and cultures. In addition, there were comic strips like De avonturen van Wo-Wang en Simmie (The adventures of Wo-Wang and Simmie). The stories were by writers such as N. van Hichtum, D.A. Cramer-Schaap, J. Fabricius, L. Roggeveen, J.B. Schuil and W. Wilkeshuis. The magazine also contained poems and songs with their musical notation by, among others, S. Abramsz.

The feature Het leuke hoekje (The nice little nook) with games, riddles, jokes, ideas for handiwork and puzzles dates back to the very beginning of Zonneschijn. Gradually, more and more articles on various subjects began to appear in the magazine. Subjects including aviation, books, nature, sport, technique, and world news became regular features as well. In addition, readers were invited to contribute to the letters column and to participate in contests.

The magazine was richly illustrated with photographs and drawings by Rie Cramer, Freddie Langeler, Anton Pieck, Hans Borrebach, Tj. Bottema and Daan Hoeksema among other artists. In 1934, the Zonneschijn Club was formed with the objective of collecting stamps and making toys for sick children.

Digitized: vol. 1 (1925) – vol. 19, no 6 (June 1943)
Missing: Kie-ke-boe vol. 12, no 17 and no 24 (1936)

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