author
Lydia L. A. (Lydia Louisa Anna) Very
1823–1901
A pioneering American writer, educator, and illustrator, she helped create the earliest shaped books in the United States. Her inventive verse editions of classic tales brought poetry, storytelling, and distinctive book design together for young readers.
1 Audiobook
Red Riding Hood
by Lydia L. A. (Lydia Louisa Anna) Very
About the author
Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Lydia Louisa Anna Very became a teacher at 18 and spent most of her 34-year career in local public schools. She also worked as an artist in oil and clay and wrote poetry, prose, and translations from French and German.
In 1863, she wrote and designed Red Riding Hood, a verse retelling die-cut in the shape of the girl and wolf. Published by L. Prang & Co., it is regarded as the first American book shaped like a person or animal. She later created shaped editions of Goody Two Shoes and Robinson Crusoe.
Very published poetry in newspapers and magazines, as well as in collections including Poems and Poems and Prose Writings. Her later works included children’s literature, novels, garden writing, and books illustrated by herself. She died in 1901.