John Harris (1756 - 1846) was an English children's book publisher active from the end of the 18th through the mid-19th century. He worked as an apprentice for Thomas Evans and then worked for John Murray for a short time and then moved to John Newbery's publishing house. Harris bought the Newbery firm in 1801 and renamed it using his own name. Newbery had focused on Evangelical material, but Harris recognized that lighter, more playful items sold better. He published The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog in 1805, firmly departing from Newbery's original business model. Harris also included copperplate illustrations on every page, another departure from Newbery's sparse use of woodcut illustrations. Harris continued to publish amusing and entertaining books, many meant for children. He had a catalog of 419 titles by 1809. He renamed the firm J. Harris and Son in 1819 and turned the firm over to his son in 1824. Griffith and Farran bought the firm in 1843.