Parker Fillmore

Born in Cincinnati in 1878, Parker Fillmore studied at the University of Cincinnati and then spent several years teaching in government schools in the Philippine Islands. Alongside other work in business and literary circles, he built a lasting reputation as a writer, translator, and editor with a special love for traditional storytelling.

Fillmore is chiefly remembered for collecting and retelling folk and fairy tales from Central and Northern Europe for children. Among his best-known books are Czechoslovak Fairy Tales, The Shoemaker's Apron, The Laughing Prince, and Mighty Mikko, works that introduced many English-language readers to stories from Czech, Slovak, Jugoslav, Finnish, and Croatian traditions.

His writing is clear, energetic, and welcoming, with an emphasis on the adventure, humor, and wonder of oral tradition. He died in 1944, but his story collections remain part of the long shelf of classic children's folklore.