"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."
— Mark Twain
Children's Books
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. The further adventures of Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka chocolate-maker extraordinary.
New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1972. [Children's classic] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.[12]; 164. Publisher's blue quarter cloth over grey paper covered boards, titles in pink to spine, blocked in blue to upper, grey endpapers, dust-jacket illustrated by Schindelman with printed price of $3.95. Illustrated throughout. Occasional..... More
The BFG. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1982. [Children's classic] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 13cm), pp.224. With frequent in-text illustrations by Quentin Blake. Publisher's grey cloth with gilt titles to spine. Pictorial dust-jacket, illustrated by Blake in colour and priced at £6.50 net. Some expected tanning to edges of text block, which was..... More
The BFG. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1982. [Children's classic] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 13cm), pp.224. With frequent in-text illustrations by Quentin Blake. Publisher's grey cloth with gilt titles to spine. Pictorial dust-jacket, illustrated by Blake in colour. Some expected tanning to edges of text block, jacket price-clipped, small booksellers ticket. A near..... More
The BFG. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1982. [Children's classic] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 13cm), pp.224. With frequent in-text illustrations by Quentin Blake. Publisher's grey cloth with gilt titles to spine. Pictorial dust-jacket, illustrated by Blake in colour, priced at £6.50. Some expected tanning to edges of text block, book and jacket lightly..... More
The Commemorative Limited Edition of the Works of Roald Dahl. Set of novels and short stories including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and The Great Glass Elevator, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Magic Finger, Danny the Champion of the World, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Twits, George's Marvelous Medicine, The BFG, The Witches, Boy, Going Solo, Matilda, Esio Trot, James & The Giant Peach.
London: Jonathan Cape and Harper Collins, 1991. LIMITED EDITION, of only 500 sets of which this is No. 425. The only major collection of Dahl's works. 15 volumes illustrated by Quentin Blake and others. Octavo (25 x 17 x 35cm). Publisher's gilt-titled quarter blue morocco, over patterned paper boards, top..... More
Esio Trot.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1990. [Children's classic] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.64. Publisher's blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, in pictorial dust-jacket illustrated by Quentin Blake with printed price of £6.95. Illustrated throughout in black and white by Blake. Very slight spotting to edges, spine of wrapper marginally sunned..... More
Fantastic Mr. Fox. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
London: Viking, 1996. [Children's classic] FIRST QUENTIN BLAKE ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Octavo (25 x 16cm), pp.81; [7], blank. Publisher's blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, pictorial dust-jacket. Dust-jacket unpriced for export. Textblock a touch toned as often found, minor sunning to spine. A clean, near fine copy. More
Matilda.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1988. [Children's classic] First Edition. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.240. Publisher's red cloth, gilt titles to spine. Pictorial wraparound dust-wrapper illustrated by Blake, showing printed price of £8.50 net. Numerous in-text illustrations by Blake. Lightly used, spine a little sunned; very good indeed. Lovingly and hilariously illustrated..... More
Revolting Rhymes. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1982. [Children's classic] SIGNED BY AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR. Slim octavo (27 x 21cm), unpaginated. With full colour illustrations by Quentin Blake. Publisher's glossy pictorial boards, without wrapper as issued, with publisher's price label (£3.95) to rear cover. An early printing, INSCRIBED by the author in thick blue..... More
Roald Dahl's Guide to Railway Safety.
London: British Railways Board, 1991. [Ephemera]. ORIGINAL PAMPHLET. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.24. With colour illustrations by Blake to every page. Publisher's colour-illustrated card wrapper, stapled. Child's ownership mark to verso of front cover. A little thumbed, otherwise good. 'British Railways Board asked Roald Dahl to write the text of..... More
The Twits.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1980. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.80. Illustrated in-text throughout by Blake. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket also illustrated by Blake, priced at £3.50. Final gathering more heavily browned than the rest of the book. A little spotting..... More
The Vicar of Nibbleswicke.
London: Century, 1991. [Children's illustrated] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.24. Quentin Blake illustrations throughout, some in colour. Publisher's dark blue cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper priced at £6.99. Mildly handled. A few small marks to jacket. Near fine. A short novel: Reverend Lee doesn't realise that his dyslexia is..... More
The Witches.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1983. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.208. With illustrations by Blake. Publisher's green cloth boards in original pictorial dust-jacket. Slight toning/spotting to edges, some shelfwear, jacket price-clipped, no inscriptions or bookplates. A very good, lightly used copy. Basis for the 1990 Jim Henson-produced movie starring Anjelica Huston and Rowan..... More
Boy.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1984. FIRST EDITION, a nice association copy, WARMLY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR shortly after publication. Octavo, pp.160. Publisher's cloth in original dustwrapper, pictorial endpapers, numerous black and white photographs and sketches throughout. The first volume of Dahl's fascinating autobiography. Edges a little dusty, one neat production crease..... More
Boy.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1984. [Autobiography] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.160. Publisher's cloth in original dust-wrapper, pictorial endpapers, numerous black and white photographs and sketches throughout. Owner name in ink, jacket with a few small nicks, one scratch to upper; very good. The first volume of Dahl's fascinating autobiography..... More
Going Solo.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1986. [Autobiography] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.208. Blue cloth with gilt titles to spine, photographic endpapers, illustrated jacket showing original price £7.95 (many seem to be clipped). A clean, near fine copy with two discreet closed tears to fold of flaps. A bright example. The..... More
Dirty Beasts.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1983. [Childrens Illustrated] FIRST EDITION. Slim Quarto (28 x 22cm), pp.[32]. Illustrated with hilarious and gruesome plates by Fawcett. Bound in publisher's pictorial paper boards, showing titles and a terrified child tucked up in bed to the front cover, titles to spine, yellow endpapers. Contents fine, binding..... More
The Author's Eye.
[1988]. Octavo. Limp red paper covers with cloth spine, front cover shows reproduction of Dahl's signature in white. Shows only the most minor of wear, and the text is completely clean. An educational exercise book, accompanying the documentary "The Author's Eye" (Westminster, MD: Random House Media, 1988), directed by Todd..... More
The Enormous Crocodile With Pictures by Quentin Blake
London: Jonathan Cape 1978. INSCRIBED, Second Impression. Publisher's glossy pictorial boards; INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR facing title page: "To / TIMOTHY / WITH LOVE / Roald Dahl / 1981" [underlined]. Some edgewear, extremities a little pushed, very good. Roald Dahl received the World Fantasy Award [Lifetime Achievement] in 1983. Book..... More
![The Tale of Mr. Tootleoo [and] Tootleoo Two. Bernard DARWIN, and Elinor](/pictures/thumb/49527.jpg?v=1510764925)
The Tale of Mr. Tootleoo [and] Tootleoo Two.
London: The Nonesuch Press, n.d. [1925 and 1927]. [Children's Illustrated]. FIRST EDITIONS. In two volumes. Oblong (19 x 26cm), unpaginated. With bright colour illustrations by Elinor Darwin facing every page of text. In publisher's original paper-covered card covers, with red decoration to volume I and blue to volume II. Some..... More
Mr. Tootleoo One and Two.
London, The Nonesuch Press 1932. FIRST THUS: Quarto. Unpaginated. Publisher's pale blue boards with red fish device. Original scarlet end papers. Contains 40 delightfully comic monochrome illustrations. Exterior is still remarably bright. Some scattered foxing to first and last leaves, otherwise a very good copy indeed. This is a cheaper..... More
This Year: Next Year.
London: Faber and Faber, 1937. SIGNED LIMITED EDITION. Small Quarto, unpaginated. SIGNED by both artist and author in black ink to verso of front free endpaper; hand-numbered 100 of 100 copies. Brightly illustrated throughout with lithographs by Jones. In publisher's colour-illustrated cloth boards, with matching jacket and illustrated endpapers. Some..... More
The Christmas Books. Being; A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man.
London: J.M. Dent and Co., 1905 and 1907. [English literature]. FIRST BROCK-ILLUSTRATED EDITION. 5 volumes, octavo (18 x 12 x 15cm). With illustrations in colour by Charles Brock. Finely bound in full deep red morocco with raised bands, gilt decoration and gilt titles to spines, marbled endpapers; top edges gilt..... More
A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1907. [Christmas Story] SIGNED BY THE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON. First edition thus. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.xvi; 204. With a chromolithographic frontispiece and 12 further engraved illustrations. SIGNED by Lord Mayor Treloar in black ink to half title. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to..... More
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain. A Fancy for Christmas-Time.
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. [Festive tale]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (17 x 11cm), pp.[viii], 188. With illustrations throughout by Tenniel, Stanfield, Stone and Leech. Publisher's red cloth blocked in gilt and blind, coated yellow endpapers. Discreet contemporary ownership to first blank, contents clean, cloth lightly handled, frayed to extremities. A...... More