Sarah Trimmer (née Kirby) (1741–1810) was a key figure in the history of children’s literature and literary criticism. Prolific as a writer of instructional works, she is noteworthy for promoting both religion and natural history and directing her writing at specific age categories, modifying her prose to accommodate the abilities of children and young adults, as well as adults with limited education. Like other rational educators, she frequently used a female pedagogue to guide her young readers towards greater moral understanding. Her most famous work is Fabulous Histories, an animal narrative that uses a family of robins, as well as a parallel human family, to teach her child readers a variety of lessons, from filial obedience to charity. Trimmer also made a significant contribution to literary scholarship. She founded and edited two journals, The Family Magazine (1788–1789) and The Guardian of Education (1802–1806). Her many reviews of works for children represented the first sustained critical attention to this genre.