Louisa May Alcott 
Flower Fables 

Flower Fables was the first work published by Louisa May Alcott and appeared on December 9, 1854. The book was a compilation of fanciful stories first written six years earlier for Ellen Emerson (daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson). The book was published in an edition of 1600 and though Alcott thought it ’sold very well’, she received only about $35 from the Boston publisher, George Briggs.

’This is a nice collection of fairy tales that is sure to please young readers and the adults reading to them alike. The writing is very beautiful and the book contains several gorgeous illustrations to accompany the stories and bring them to life through their beautiful artwork.’ — Of Stacks and Cups

The author of Little Women possessed a special gift for capturing children’s imaginations, and she wrote these fairy tales when she was just sixteen years old. 

Louisa May Alcott created the fanciful stories for the amusement of the daughter of a family friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Populated by elves, brownies, and other supernatural creatures, the fables conclude with memorable lessons for young readers about the power of love and kindness and the importance of responsibility.