Sherred Willcox Adams

Born in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1872, Sherred Willcox Adams was an American author whose surviving published reputation rests mainly on Five Little Friends. The book was published in 1922 by The Macmillan Company and illustrated by Maud and Miska Petersham, pairing simple storytelling with lively, child-friendly artwork.

Five Little Friends follows a group of children named Bob, Betty, Paul, Peggy, and little Dot through school and vacation adventures. The story is remembered for its easy, cheerful tone and its focus on friendship, animals, and the everyday pleasures of childhood, which helped it remain available through projects such as Project Gutenberg and the International Children's Digital Library.

Adams died in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1960 at the age of 87. Although little biographical information is easily confirmed online, the continued circulation of Five Little Friends has kept this once-familiar children's author connected to new generations of readers.