Although lying is considered morally reprehensible, everybody lies, and do so from early childhood. Indeed, from the age of 4, children are able to lie to preserve self-interest (i.e., antisocial lie) as well as for the benefit of others (i.e., prosocial lie). Children tell prosocial lies in order to avoid hurting, to please or to comfort others, but also to protect or help others at their own expense. The current article provides a critical literature review on prosocial lies and their development. After presenting the paradigms used in the literature to study prosocial lies in children, the development of this kind of lies and the main factors that promote and constrain their development will be discussed. Finally, new avenues of research will be proposed in order to understand better the mechanisms underlying the development of prosocial lies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)