"If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. "
— Oscar Wilde
Children's Books
Artemis Fowl, The Eternity Code.
London: Puffin Books, 2003. [Fantasy adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.329. Publisher's black cloth with rich yellow endpapers and bright red metallic lettering to spine. With the red metallic effect dust-jacket, priced at £12.99. Bumping to spine tail, otherwise as-new. Near fine. Artemis requires the help of the..... More
Artemis Fowl.
London: Viking, 2001. [Children's Fantasy Adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.viii; 278 [2]. Publisher's black cloth with gilt titles in Gnommish to spine. With the bronze metallic-effect pictorial dust-jacket designed by Tony Fleetwood, priced at £12.99. A fine/as-new copy. The first in the series of eight novels. Together..... More
The Romance of the Echoing Wood.
Newport: R.H. Johns, the "Directory" Press, 1937. [Welsh Fairy Tale] SIGNED LIMITED EDITION. Small quarto (26 x 20cm), pp.[8] 43 [5]. Number 50 of just 220 copies, SIGNED by all the contributors, including the publisher, to the limitation page. With wide marginal illustrations and three full page plates all engraved..... More
The Story of a Puppet or the Adventures of Pinocchio. Translated from the Italian by M.A. Murray. Illustrated by C. Mazzanti.
London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1892. [Fairy tale] FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH. Octavo (17 x 11cm), pp.[6]; 232. Publisher's white cloth with blue floral decoration, blue title to spine and upper. Edges and endpapers repeating the design of the cloth. Illustrated with a tissue protected frontispiece and numerous in-text illustrations by..... More
Pink Furniture. A Tale for Lovely Children with Noble Natures.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1930. [Children's Fantasy] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.251 [5]. With 25 line-drawn illustrations by Gurney. Publisher's variegated pink and cream cloth, with blue titles to spine and upper. With the dust-jacket illustrated in colour by O.G. Bourne, priced at 7/6. A little toning to edges..... More
Lionboy: The Chase.
London: Puffin, 2004. [Children's Literature] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (26 x 16cm), pp.[10]; 320; [6]. With occasional illustrated maps and diagrams by Fred van Deelen. SIGNED by the author/s in black ink to the title page. Publisher's green cloth with red titles to spine. Orange endpapers. With the dust-jacket illustrated..... More
The Faber Book of Favourite Fairy Tales.
London: Faber and Faber, 1988. [Anthology] FIRST EDITION, REVIEW COPY. Octavo ( 25 x 17cm), pp.xii; 244. Publisher's blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, dust-jacket priced at £9.95. Illustrated throughout with full page colour illustrations and decorative head and tailpieces to each story. With the publisher's review slip loosely inserted..... More
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Adventures. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Over the Moon.
London: Macmillan Children's Books, 2011; 2012; 2013. [Children's Adventure Sequels] COMPLETE FIRST EDITIONS, one volume SIGNED by the author. Three volumes. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.[6] 216 [2]; pp.[6] 234; pp.[6] 293 [5]. Frequent in-text illustrations by Joe Berger. Volume I SIGNED by the author with a doodle in black..... More
Runaway Robot.
London: Macmillan Children's Books, 2019. [Children's Illustrated] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.[8] 272 [10]. SIGNED by the author in black ink, with robot sketch, to preliminary leaf. With frequent in-text illustrations by Lenton. Publisher's yellow cloth with black titles to spine and black illustration to upper, and..... More
Flora's Feast: A Masque of Flowers.
London: Cassell & Company, 1889. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION. Large octavo (26 x 19cm), pp.40 [10]. With fine colour illustrations by the author to every page. Publisher's catalogue dated August 1889. Publisher's illustrated paper-covered boards with green cloth to spine and endpapers patterned in orange. Light repair to split upper..... More
The winter of the Birds.
London: Faber and Faber, 1975. [Children's fiction]. INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.204. Publisher's black cloth, silver titles to spine, pictorial dust-jacket designed by Anthony Maitland. Signed and inscribed to flyleaf: "For Caroline | with very best | wishes | Helen Cresswell | Old Church Farm | 1978"..... More
Robin Hood.
Philadelphia, PA: David McKay, Publisher, 1917. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST WYETH EDITION. Large Octavo (25 x 18cm), pp.362. With eight colour plates and a colour-illustrated title page, all by N.C. Wyeth. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board, as well as a handsome coloured plate also to..... More
Moonrise.
London: Bloomsbury, 2018. [Children's Literature] SIGNED FIRST PAPERBACK EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[6] 385 [9]. SIGNED by the author in black ink to title page. Publisher's yellow and blue soft covers, priced at £7.99. 'Signed by the Author' sticker to front cover. A fine, as-new copy. More
![Rupert [Daily Express Rupert Bear Annual], No.40. Alex CUBIE](/pictures/thumb/53496.jpg?v=1591116124)
Rupert [Daily Express Rupert Bear Annual], No.40.
London: Express Newspapers, Printed by Purnell, 1975. FIRST EDITION. Quarto (25 x 18cm), pp.115. Stories illustrated in colour throughout. Publisher's glossy card covers, pictorial endpapers. Original printed price 80p inked out. Name within 'book belongs to' box, contents otherwise clean, minor shelfwear. An attractive copy. More
![Rupert [Daily Express Rupert Bear Annual], No.41. Alex CUBIE](/pictures/thumb/53495.jpg?v=1584723064)
Rupert [Daily Express Rupert Bear Annual], No.41.
London: Express Newspapers, Printed by Purnell, 1976. FIRST EDITION. Quarto (25 x 18cm), pp.115. Stories illustrated in colour throughout. Publisher's glossy card covers, pictorial endpapers. Original printed price 90p intact. Child's ownership to front, a few light marks within, contents otherwise clean, minor shelfwear. An attractive copy... More
![Rupert [Daily Express Rupert Bear Annual], No.42. Alex CUBIE](/pictures/thumb/53494.jpg?v=1584723064)
Rupert [Daily Express Rupert Bear Annual], No.42.
London: Express Newspapers, Printed by Purnell, 1977. FIRST EDITION. Quarto (25 x 18cm), pp.115. Stories illustrated in colour throughout. Publisher's glossy card covers, pictorial endpapers. Ink ownership/inscription to 'book belongs to' page, route discreetly completed in pencil p.61, contents otherwise clean, price-clipped, minor shelfwear, lower corner worn. An attractive copy..... More
Even More Revolting Recipes.
London: Jonathan Cape, 2001. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION, SIGNED BY QUENTIN BLAKE. Slim quarto (26 x 20cm), pp.64. Publisher's printed boards, plain red endpapers. Signed by Blake to the title page. Signed copy sticker to front cover, lightly handled. Fine. A further collection of off-beat recipes taken from Dahl's various..... 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 No190. 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 edge..... 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. A couple of tiny spots to edges, binding and wrapper very lightly handled..... More
James And The Giant Peach. A Children's Story.
New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, [circa 1972]. [Children's Classic] VINTAGE COPY, a later issue showing ISBN, and mentioning 'Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.' Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.[8] 119 [1]. Illustrated with plain and coloured lithographs by Burkert. Publisher's orange cloth with gilt titles to spine and blind..... 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
My Uncle Oswald.
London: Michael Joseph Ltd, 1979. [Modern Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.221. Publisher's dark blue cloth in pictorial dust-jacket designed by Dave Senior, priced at £5.50. Neat ink ownership else a lovely fine copy. Slightly risque, adult romp from the regular 'Playboy' contributor. Roald Dahl received the World..... More
![The Tale of Mr. Tootleoo [and] Tootleoo Two. Bernard DARWIN, and Elinor](/pictures/thumb/49527.jpg?v=1634833563)
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 remarkably bright. Some scattered foxing to first and last leaves, otherwise a very good copy indeed. This is a cheaper..... More
The Scorch Trials.
London: Chicken House, 2010. [Young Adult Fiction] SIGNED LIMITED EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.361; [1]. One of 3000 copies SIGNED by the author. Hardback in pink dust-jacket, with black paper-covered slipcase. In the original shrink-wrap. Fine/as-new. The second book in the 'Maze Runner' series. More