"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
— P.J. O'Rourke
Children's Books
The Story of Mr Korah.
London: Michael Joseph, 1954. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION. Quarto (25 x 20cm), unpaginated, with three fine chromolithographic plates including a frontispiece tipped in and 16 further sketch illustrations by Whistler. Publisher's red quarter cloth over grey cloth boards, gilt titles to spine gilt figure to upper, light blue endpapers, dust-jacket..... More
The Unbroken Web: Stories and Fables.
New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1980. [Children's Illustrated] INSCRIBED FIRST US EDITION. Large octavo (25 x 18cm), pp.142 [2]. With colour plates by Gilbert and in-text drawings by Campbell. INSCRIBED by the author in black ink to title page: 'To R.W. Smith | Yours with best wishes | Richard..... More
Watership Down.
New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1972. [Children's Fantasy] US ADVANCE COPY. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.[12] 430 [6]. Publisher's yellow soft covers with red and black titles to spine and upper. Illustration also to upper. Spine lightly sunned. Some spotting and handling to edges. Very good. A tragic fantasy..... More
Mouse Bird Snake Wolf.
London: Walker Books, 2013. [Children's illustrated] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 17cm), pp.80. Publishers pictorial paper boards, dust-jacket with printed price of £9.99. Signed by both the author and the illustrator to the half title. A fine/as new copy. Lavishly illustrated by the world-renowned artist Dave McKean. David Almond..... More
The Savage.
London: Walker Books, 2009. [Children's Illustrated] SIGNED FIRST PAPERBACK EDITION. Octavo (21 x 17cm), pp.79 [1]. Generously illustrated by McKean throughout. SIGNED by both author and illustrator in black marker to title page. Publisher's soft covers, priced at £5.99. Light handling with some rubbing and marks to rear cover. Near..... More
The Colour of the Sun.
London: Hodder Children's Books, 2018. [Children's Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.[6] 231 [3]. Publisher's navy cloth with bronze titles to spine and upper, and orange endpapers. With the dust-jacket illustrated by David Litchfield, priced at £12.99. A fine, as-new copy. More
The Potion Diaries: Royal Tour.
London: Simon and Schuster, 2016. [Young Adult Fantasy] SIGNED FIRST PAPERBACK EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[6] 368 [10]. SIGNED by the author in black marker to title page. Publisher's illustrated soft covers, priced at £7.99. 'Signed by the Author' sticker to front cover. A fine, as-new copy. A sequel..... More
The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen.
London: George Newnes, 1899. [Children's Illustrated] FINELY BOUND, FIRST STRATTON ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Quarto (28 x 22cm), pp.[2]; xvi; 320; [2]. With over 400 in-text wood engravings by Stratton. Contemporary green full morocco dated 1900, with raised bands, gilt titles to spine and gilt decorations to upper board. All edges gilt;..... More
Stories from Hans Andersen. With Illustrations by Edmund Dulac.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1911. [Illustrated children's classic]. FIRST DULAC ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Quarto (29 x 23cm), pp.viii; 250; [2]. Publisher's green cloth blocked in gilt to spine and upper board, illustrated endpapers. With twenty eight tipped in colour plates. Some light spotting to endpapers, preliminaries, and edges, a couple of..... More
Stories from Hans Andersen. With Illustrations by Edmund Dulac.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1911. [Illustrated children's classic] FIRST DULAC ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Quarto (29 x 23cm), pp.viii; 250; [2]. With twenty eight tipped in colour plates. Smartly bound in green half calf over original gilt-stamped green cloth sides, gilt-lettered twin red title labels, spine in six compartments with raised bands..... More
Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales with Pictures that Spring to Life. Bookano Series.
London: Strand Publications, no date [circa 1938]. [Pop-Up Fairy Tales] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 18cm), pp.[62]. With four colour-illustrated pop-up scenes, a colour fronispiece and vignette title page, and several line-drawn illustrations, all by Wickham, and design and arrangement by Giraud. Publisher's colour illustrated paper-covered boards, with endpapers illustrated..... More
Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London, George G. Harrap and Co. Ltd., 1932. [Fairy tales] FIRST RACKHAM EDITION, SIGNED LIMITED deluxe issue. Large octavo (26 x 19cm), pp.288. With twelve full-page coloured plates with tissue guards and many full page and in-text black and white illustrations. Publisher's gilt-stamped parchment over boards, top edge gilt, others..... More
Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: George G. Harrap and Co., 1932. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST RACKHAM ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Large octavo (26 x 20cm), pp.288. With 12 very fine colour plates, including a frontispiece, each with a captioned tissue guard, as well as numerous in-text illustrations. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper..... More
Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London, George G. Harrap and Co. Ltd., 1932. [Fairy tales] FIRST RACKHAM EDITION. Large octavo (25 x 19cm), pp.288. With twelve full-page coloured plates with tissue guards and many full page and in-text black and white illustrations. Publisher's russet cloth blocked in gilt, illustrated dust-wrapper in original card gift box..... More
Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales.
London: Raphael Tuck & Sons, no date [1914]. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST THUS. Large octavo (25 x 19cm), pp.140 [4]. With 12 colour plates by Attwell, and numerous in-text illustrations. Publisher's brown quarter cloth with black titles to spine and colour-illustrated paper over boards. Heavy browning to endpapers and half-title. Black..... More
The Dolly Dressmaker. Original Book of Cutting and Dressing with Original Artwork of 10 Paintings on board.
Printed in England, B.B. (Birn Brothers) Ltd., 1950's. The Book: Folio. No. 509. Soft pictorial covers with 16 pages, 8 of which are printed in colour. The Artwork: 10 hand painted hard board leaves, same size as the book, being the original artwork for the front and back covers as..... More
Sam Sheridan: The Secret Service Special, or, the jamboree at "Early Bird" bar. The Aldine "Boys' First-Rate Pocket Library." No. 178.
London: Aldine Publishing Company, n.d. [1893]. ORIGINAL PAMPHLET. Octavo, pp.32. In original colour illustrated paper covers. text heavily browned and extremely brittle. Some chips to leaf edges. Covers much less brittle, also chipped in places. Spine reinforced with archival tape. Good considering paper stock. More
The Little Child's Gift; Illustrated by Emblematic Figures.
Boston, Munroe and Francis n.d. 112 x 138 mm. Publisher's yellow paper boards, pp. 64. Containing drawings and descriptions of numerous animals, insects and birds, plus several short stories and word games. Lacks lower board, upper corners rubbed, crack along hinge. Internally very good. Not in Osborne. More
Problem Party.
London: John Lane The Bodley Head, 1945. [Children's fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.214; [2]. Publisher's orange cloth, titles in green to spine, decorated front endpapers, dust-jacket designed by Tresilian with printed price of 8s. 6d. net. In-text illustrations by Tresilian. Spotting and toning to edges, cloth bumped..... More
The Wind in the Wood.
London: Hollis and Carter, 1952. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION. Quarto (26 x 20cm), pp.[10]; 143; [1]. With twelve chromolithographic plates including a frontispiece by the author, and wood engraved vignettes to chapter headings. Publisher's blue cloth with silver titles to spine and upper board, illustrated dust-jacket priced at 18s. net..... More
Head Kid.
London: HarperCollins Children's Books, 2018. [Children's Humour] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 14cm), pp.[2] 384. SIGNED by the author in black ink to preliminary signature leaf. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. Blue patterned endpapers. With the dust-jacket also illustrated by Lenton, priced at £12.99. A fine..... More
A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars.
London: Zephyr, 2017. [Children's Literature] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.[8] 309 [3]. With occasional marginal illustrations by Leo Nickolls. SIGNED by the author in black ink to title page. Publisher's black cloth with gilt titles to spine. Black endpapers. With the dust-jacket also illustrated by Nickolls, priced..... More
Groundsel and Necklaces.
London and Glasgow: Black and Son Limited, (n.d.). Small octavo, pp. 48. Bound in paper-covered boards with central illustration, titles in black, in an illustrated dustjacket designed by the author. Pictorial endpapers. Illustrated throughout with colour plates accompanying a whimsical story about a girl named Jenny. Boards in excellent condition..... More
The Little Picture Hymn Book.
London and Glasgow: Black and Son Limited, (n.d.). Small octavo, pp. 48. Bound in publisher's blue cloth with gilt title to front board, in an illustrated dustjacket designed by the author. Pictorial endpapers. Illustrated throughout with colour plates depicting biblical scenes. A charming religious collection from the artist behind the..... More
Flower Fairies Of The Autumn. With the Nuts and Berries they Bring.
London: Blackie and Son Ltd, no date. Duodecimo (15 x 12 cm). Publisher's light brown patterned cloth with a coloured plate of 'The Hawthorn Fairy' to the front in a warmly illustrated dust jacket, priced 2/6. Slightly bumped to the lower spine and corners with a hint of a lean..... More