What was the point of Pinocchio

My 8 year old is building an outline researching The adventures of Pinocchio. We are asked to comment on the purpose Collodi wrote Pinocchio! I can find out how it turned from magazine story to novel but not THE PURPOSE....Can anyone give me some info? Thanks!:idea:

I always thought of it as very fable-like,told to make a moral point.
Bad things happen to you when you're bad. (Your nose will grow if you lie)
Good things happen to you when you're good. (You get to be a real boy.)