Laure Bernard (Laure de Lagrave) was a French woman of letters, born in Paris.

In 1817, she married General Louis Bernard, but immediately became a widow. After the death of her husband, she began giving lessons to make a living, and wrote books mostly meant for children. Her most famous works include Contes et conseils (Tales and advice, 1831), Contes aux enfants (Tales for children, 1835), Conseils aux jeunes détenus (Advice for young convicts, 1839), Les Mythologies de tous les peuples (Mythologies from all peoples, 1853), and the novel Mademoiselle de Valville (1835).

Around 1825, Laure Bernard founded her own puppet theatre to entertain her eldest daughter, who had fallen ill. This small familial theatre was made possible thanks to her relatives. Laure Bernard made the costumes for the puppets herself, using pieces of fabric (silk, velvet, wool). The repertoire of this theatre sometimes included plays performed in the theatres of the city; Bernard adapted them for children. The audience was made up mostly of her daughter’s friends.