Lydia L. A. (Lydia Louisa Anna) Very

Born on November 2, 1823, Lydia Louisa Anna Very was an American author, educator, and illustrator from Salem, Massachusetts. She wrote poetry and prose, contributed to newspapers and periodicals, and became especially known for children’s books.

Very is often noted as the creator of the earliest shape books in America—books cut into the outline of a figure or object rather than the usual rectangular form. Her verse version of Red Riding Hood is one of the works most closely associated with that innovation, showing her gift for combining storytelling with visual design.

She also published collections including Poems and Poems and Prose Writings, and remained active in literary work late in life. Very died on September 10, 1901, leaving behind a body of writing that connects children’s literature, illustration, and 19th-century American poetry.