Charles Perrault (12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703) is a French author and member of the Académie française.

He lays the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from pre-existing folk tales.

The best known of his tales include Le Petit Chaperon rouge (Little Red Riding Hood), Cendrillon (Cinderella), Le Chat Botté (Puss in Boots) and La Barbe bleue (Bluebeard).

Many of Perrault's stories are rewritten by the Brothers Grimm, continue to be printed and have been adapted to opera, ballet (such as Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty), theater, and film (Disney).

Perrault is an influential figure in the 17th century French literary scene, and is the leader of the Modern faction during the Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns.