The Little Red Hen

This story is an old folktale, meaning it has been passed down orally from generation to generation. The story most likely came from Russia and was intended as a literature primer for young readers, but departed from highly moralistic, often religious stories written for the same purpose. Adaptations throughout the 1880s incorporated appealing illustrations in order to hold the reader's attention as interest became more relevant to reading lessons. Repetitive vocabulary is still used in adaptations in order to encourage learning for very early readers.

Florence White Williams (1895–1953) was an artist and illustrator, and is most famous for her retelling of the folktale "The Little Red Hen" and other tales.