Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) was the author of 12 books containing a total of 243 fables in verse, published between 1668 and 1694. Inspired by classical fable authors, particularly Aesop's Fables, La Fontaine created anthropomorphic animals to convey moral lessons.

Each fable tells a vivid story that always concludes with a moral. Examples include "La raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure" (The reason of the strongest is always the best) in "The Wolf and the Lamb"; "On a souvent besoin d’un plus petit que soi" (We often need someone smaller than ourselves) in "The Lion and the Mouse"; "Rien ne sert de courir; il faut partir à point" (There’s no use in running; one must start on time) in "The Tortoise and the Hare"; and "Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera" (Help yourself, and Heaven will help you) in "The Crow in Trouble."

La Fontaine described the educational influence of his fables with the words: "The fables became a huge and lasting success after their publication, remaining one of the great classics of French literature."

Various artists were also inspired to illustrate these stories, including Gustave Doré, Daumier, and Chagall. The illustrations in the 1875 edition follow the style of *images d’Épinal* (Épinal prints). These were prints of popular subjects produced in a vividly colored style preferred by Jean-Charles Pellerin, who named his printing house after his hometown, Épinal, in 1796.