Edna Groff Deihl

Edna Groff Deihl was an American children's author born in 1881 and deceased in 1935. Surviving catalog records connect her with a small body of children's books and story collections, including The Little Would-Nots, My Twin Puppies, and stories published under the "Aunt Este" name.

Her work seems to have centered on simple animal tales for young readers, often built around everyday habits and behavior. Titles such as The Little Kitten That Would Not Wash Its Face, The Little Chick That Would Not Go to Bed, and The Little Rabbit That Would Not Eat suggest the kind of gentle, repetitive storytelling that fit read-aloud family reading in the 1920s and 1930s.

Although not widely remembered today, Deihl's books still appear in library collections and historical book listings, which points to a modest but lasting place in early American children's literature. Reliable biographical details about her life are limited, so much of her legacy is preserved through the books themselves rather than through extensive personal records.