Mrs. Molesworth

Mary Louisa Molesworth (1839–1921), who wrote as Mrs. Molesworth, was a British author of books for children. Born in Rotterdam and raised in Manchester and Scotland, she first published adult novels under the pen name Ennis Graham before finding her real audience with children. Carrots: Just a Little Boy (1876) and The Cuckoo Clock (1877), illustrated by Walter Crane, made her name, and she went on to write about a hundred books, among them The Tapestry Room, Four Winds Farm and stories for older girls such as Robin Redbreast. She combined gentle fantasy with careful observation of children's feelings and family life.