author
Jane Taylor
1783–1824
Best remembered for the words of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," this English poet and novelist helped shape early children's literature with writing that is warm, clear, and memorable. She often wrote alongside her sister Ann, and their books reached generations of young readers.
4 Audiobooks
Eyes and No Eyes, and Other Stories
by John Aikin, Mrs. (Anna Letitia) Barbauld, Mrs. (Jane Haldimand) Marcet, Jane Taylor
City Scenes; or, a peep into London
by Ann Taylor, Jane Taylor
Little Ann, and Other Poems
by Jane Taylor, Ann Taylor
Rhymes for the nursery
by Ann Taylor, Jane Taylor
About the author
Born in London on September 23, 1783, Jane Taylor was an English poet, novelist, and writer for children. She grew up in a literary and artistic family: her father Isaac Taylor was an engraver and minister, and her mother Ann Martin Taylor was also a writer. Early in life, Jane began publishing verses and stories, often in collaboration with her sister Ann.
She is most widely associated with the poem later known as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," first published as "The Star" in Rhymes for the Nursery in 1806. Along with her sister, she became one of the best-known children's authors of the early 19th century, admired for work that combined moral purpose with gentleness and charm.
Taylor also wrote essays, stories, and longer poems, building a body of work that reached beyond a single famous lyric. She died on April 13, 1824, at the age of 40, but her writing has remained part of childhood reading ever since.