Children's
Rare first editions, signed and inscribed copies, deluxe and collectible editions of books, pamphlets, and ephemera relating to books written for children or juveniles.
First editions of children's classics, including Roald Dahl, Beatrix Potter, J. K. Rowling, A. A. Milne and J. M. Barrie.From the blog: 'Dear Boys and Girls': Enid Blyton's personal brand
Harry Potter and the Literary Allusions: J. K. Rowling's influences
"Too Fancy and Ingenious": children's books by adult writers
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BAUM, L. Frank. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus.Indianapolis : 1902
First edition, first printing. Baum is best known for the Wizard of Oz books, in two of which Santa Claus features as a guest of Oz. Learn More£3,950.00Stock Code: 107961
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ROWLING, J. K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.London : 1999
First edition, first impression, first state, with the requisite points: number series on the copyright page from 10 down to 1, "Joanne Rowling" as the copyright holder, and the dropped line (line 24) of text on page 7. In the second state, the dropped text is corrected, and the copyright attributed to "J. K. Rowling". It is generally held that there... Learn More£3,000.00Stock Code: 131383
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(MILNE, A. A., & E. H. Shepard.) Catalogue of The Winnie-the-Pooh Collection of Pat McInally. [Collectors Edition]London : 2011
Signed limited edition, deluxe format, one of 100 copies numbered and signed by the collector and American football legend, Pat McInally. Catalogue to accompany the exhibition and sale of the most comprehensive collection of Winnie-the-Pooh books and artwork ever assembled. Including more than one hundred items gathered together over twenty years by... Learn More£75.00Stock Code: 71749
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DULAC, Edmund (illus.); ANDERSEN, Hans Christian. Stories from Hans Andersen.London : 1911
First English trade edition. Learn More£2,250.00Stock Code: 111588
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DULAC, Edmund (illus.) Sindbad the SailorLondon : [1914]
First Dulac edition. "The exotic stories he illustrated struck a new chord in Dulac. They allowed him to enlarge his skill at caricature, and at the same time to sharpen his miniaturist's technique and to develop his lyrical sense of tone and composition. The sources he turned to were Japanese prints, which he had studied in his youth, with their flat... Learn More£2,000.00Stock Code: 111191
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(NIELSEN, Kay.) GRIMM, The Brothers. Hansel and Gretel and Other Stories.London : [1925]
Signed limited edition, number 424 of 600 copies signed by the artist. Learn More£6,500.00Stock Code: 110794
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CARROLL, Lewis. Rhyme? And Reason?London : 1883
First edition. A remarkable presentation copy inscribed by the author to John Tenniel on the half-title in purple ink: "J. Tenniel, with sincere regards from the Author. Dec. 7/83." Never a close personal friend of the author, Tenniel famously refused further commissions from Dodgson after Through the Looking-Glass, but out of respect Dodgson kept him... Learn More£17,500.00Stock Code: 108890
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[POTTER, Beatrix.] HEELIS, Beatrix. The Fairy Caravan.[Ambleside : 1929
First edition, UK issue, number 26 of 100 copies only. Presentation copy, inscribed by Potter on the front free endpaper, "To Mr & Mrs Wright of Graythwaite - in affectionate remembrance - from Beatrix Heelis. June. 10th 1930." A touching presentation copy, together with an autograph letter from Potter to the Wrights laid-in, consoling them on the loss... Learn More£20,000.00Stock Code: 109175
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DISNEY, Walt. Bambi.New York : 1941
First edition thus, first printing. Presentation copy inscribed "To Janet with best wishes Walt Disney" on the half title. Walt Disney acquired the rights for Bambi in 1937 from a producer and director of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer after the project was deemed too difficult. Indeed, the technical challenge of rendering a realistic animation of... Learn More£8,750.00Stock Code: 109256
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DAHL, Roald. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.New York : 1964
First edition, first printing with the six line colophon on the last page (this was cut to five in all subsequent printings). This US edition precedes the English by three years. Learn More£3,000.00Stock Code: 109131
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POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes.London : 1911
First edition, rare with the glassine jacket. Intended to please her American readers, the main animal characters in the book are indigenous to North America: grey squirrels, chipmunks, and a "large bear". The inclusion of yellowhammers (Emberiza citrinella, the birds which sing "Little bita bread and-nocheese!") was a mistake, as their range includes... Learn More£2,500.00Stock Code: 109478
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SMITH, Jessie Willcox (illus.); UNDERWOOD, Priscilla. When Christmas Comes Around. Sketches of Children.New York : 1915
First edition, first printing. Learn More£1,500.00Stock Code: 68208
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STREATFEILD, Noel. A Vicarage Family; Away from the Vicarage; Beyond the Vicarage.London : 1963, 1965, 1971
First editions, first impressions, presentation copies to Streatfield's amanuensis and proof-reader June Allen, inscribed by the author in each work: A Vicarage Family, "For June with love Noel 1963"; Away from the Vicarage, "For June, Thank you for your hard work, love, Noel 1965"; Beyond the Vicarage, "To June with love Noel 1971". It is very unusual... Learn More£500.00Stock Code: 111041
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LOWTHER, George. The Adventures of Superman.New York : 1942
First edition, first printing. This book is the first novelization of a comic book character, and also the first Superman story credited to someone other than Jerry Siegel. It was Lowther who first provided many now-familiar details of Superman's birth and early life. Learn More£1,750.00Stock Code: 106858
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STEVENSON, Robert Louis. Treasure Island.London : 1883
First edition, first impression, with the following points: "dead man's chest" not capitalised on pages 2 or 7; the first letter of "vain" broken in the last line, page 40; the "a" not present in line 6, page 63; the "8" dropped from the pagination on page 83; the "7" overstamped in the pagination on page 127; the full stop not present following "opportunity"... Learn More£9,750.00Stock Code: 107122
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SALTEN, Felix. Bambi: A Life in the Woods.New York : 1928
First edition in English, first printing (July 1928); originally published in German (Berlin: Ullstein Verlag, 1923). With an excellent photographic portrait of Salten mounted opposite the title page and inscribed: "for Mr Nelson Craig cordially Felix Salten, 1935". The portrait is the same as that used by Salten on his press card for the Union of Foreign... Learn More£3,500.00Stock Code: 107906
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DIXON, Franklin W. The Tower Treasure.New York : 1927
First edition, first printing, of the first Hardy Boys title, long considered one of the holy grails of American children's book collecting. Developed by the American publisher Edward Stratemeyer, The Hardy Boys books were part of a range of juvenile detective fiction released by the Stratemeyer Syndicate, and was so successful that they launched Nancy... Learn More£7,500.00Stock Code: 104563
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BALLANTYNE, Robert Michael. The Coral Island:London : 1858
First edition, first issue (with frontispiece contiguous with title page, gilt illustrated roundel on front cover and shark-attack plate at p. 76), in the less common rose-pink cloth (copies are more commonly encountered in blue cloth). Ballantyne wrote children's stories based on his experiences in Canada as a young man in the service of the Hudson's... Learn More£2,000.00Stock Code: 105863
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MARTIN, J. P. Uncle and His Detective.London : 1966
First edition, first impresssion. The fourth of the Uncle books and one of the scarcer titles, particularly in such nice condition as this. Learn More£175.00Stock Code: 78010
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MARTIN, J. P. Uncle Cleans Up.1965
First edition. The second of the Uncle books. Learn More£200.00Stock Code: 47796
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MARTIN, J. P. Uncle and His Detective.1966
First edition. The fourth of the Uncle books and one of the scarcer titles, particularly in such nice condition. Learn More£300.00Stock Code: 47793
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POTTER, Beatrix. The Tailor of Gloucester.London : 1903
First trade edition, first impression, with a single-page pictorial endpaper occurring four times, which was replaced with doublepage endpapers in later impressions. Eleven of the illustrations are repeated from the privately-printed edition and 16 are entirely new for this edition. This trade edition was published in October 1903. Learn More£1,750.00Stock Code: 109247
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SMITH, Dodie. The Hundred and One Dalmatians.Melbourne, London, Toronto : 1956
First edition, first impression. Learn More£1,500.00Stock Code: 72239
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SHAKESPEARE, William - SCHOENBAUM, S. A Documentary Life.New York : 1975
First edition, first impression. The known information about Shakespeare's life and the documents associated with it are the focus of this profusely illustrated book. Where possible, the facsimiles included are reproduced full size. Learn More£225.00Stock Code: 116641
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DUVOISIN, Roger. A small archive of Christmas greetings cards and other correspondence.Gladstone, NJ : 1970s
An attractive collection of correspondence from the Swiss-born American writer and illustrator Roger Duvoisin (1900-1980) and his wife Louise (Loulou) Fatio to their friends, Helen and Max. Roger Duvoisin won the 1948 Caldecott Medal for White Snow, Bright Snow, written by Alvin Tresselt (D. Lothrop Co., 1947). He and his wife created together the Happy... Learn More£1,350.00Stock Code: 116252
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SEUSS, Dr, & Chuck Jones. An original production cel from the MGM animation Dr Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas.1966
Originally broadcast by CBS on 18 December 1966, How the Grinch Stole Christmas became a perennial feature of US festive season television - the position occupied by Raymond Briggs's The Snowman for British audiences. Superbly voiced by Boris Karloff and with ear-catching music by Albert Hague and Eugene Poddany, it was Chuck Jones's inspired direction... Learn More£4,750.00Stock Code: 112736
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RACKHAM, Arthur (illus.); RUSKIN, John. The King of the Golden River.London : 1932
First trade edition, first impression. Presentation copy from the artist and his wife, inscribed on the half-title: "To Fanny from Edyth & Arthur Rackham, Xmas 32" and with an accompanying pen-and-ink sketch of the King of the Golden River. Fanny Starkie was Rackham's sister-in-law. Learn More£2,000.00Stock Code: 112915
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(KEATS, Ezra Jack.) ALEXANDER, Llyod. The King's Fountain.New York : 1971
First edition, first printing. Learn More£125.00Stock Code: 112559
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MAY, Robert L. Benny the Bunny Liked Beans.New York : 1940
First edition, first printing. A very scarce picture book by the author of Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer. Learn More£675.00Stock Code: 112429
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(JONES, Harold.) Kathleen Lines. A Ring of Tales.London : 1958
First edition, first impression. Presentation copy from the illustrator, inscribed on the half title verso: "To my sister, with all good wishes, from Harold ". A collection of stories and some poems from authors including Alison Uttley, Arthur Ransome, Walter De La Mare, Robert Louis Stevenson and Eleanor Farjeon. Learn More£450.00Stock Code: 112293
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DAHL, Roald. The Magic Finger.London : 1968
First UK edition, first impression. It was first published two years earlier in the US. Learn More£300.00Stock Code: 111986
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SEUSS, Dr., as Old Captain Taylor. The Log of the Good Ship.New York : c.1950
First edition, first printing. A 36 page promotional booklet for Esso Oil's marine services designed as a humorous daily ship log. Learn More£450.00Stock Code: 111991
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GRAHAME, Kenneth. Dream Days.New York, : 1902
First US edition of the illustrated edition, variant binding with Dodd Mead copyright, John Lane title page, Dodd Mead spine imprint. First printed in London the same year by John Lane. A sequel to Grahame's Golden Age. Dream Days is best noted for it's inclusion of the story, The Reluctant Dragon, which served as the basis for the 1941 Walt... Learn More£175.00Stock Code: 112013
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NEWBERRY, Clare Turlay. Mittens.New York : 1936
First edition, first printing. A picture book of a kitten. Newberry was a prolific artist specialising in all things feline. Learn More£175.00Stock Code: 112043
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RACKHAM, Arthur (illus.); FORD, Julia Ellsworth. Imagina.New York : 1914
First edition, first printing. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author to her son on the half-title, "To my son Hobart Ford, with love from his mother. Julia Ellsworth Ford. 1914". Ford has later inscribed the book on p. i beneath the list of her published works with details of her 1919 book, Snickerty Nick, which Rackham also illustrated. Learn More£250.00Stock Code: 111457
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DICKENS, Charles. A Child's History of England.London : 1852-4 [1851-3]
First editions in book form. Dickens's history of England for children, "intensely anti-aristocratic and anti-monarchical" (ODNB), originally appeared anonymously in Household Words between January 1851 and December 1853, with the volumes published in book-form in the December of those years, post-dated to the following years. In style, subject... Learn More£1,375.00Stock Code: 111255
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![Isprinsessa [and] Cirkusen Kommer.](https://d3dzzbbvj9im7s.cloudfront.net/media/catalog/product/cache/ae0834d12b7cf129fc73bcc000ea526a/1/1/111008comp.jpg)
STREATFEILD, Noel. Isprinsessa [and] Cirkusen Kommer.Malmo : 1954 and 1955
First Swedish editions, Cirkusen Kommer inscribed on the title page by the author in mock-Swedish, "mist a liddle bit of reading yes? Love Noel. 1955". This book comes from the library of June Allen, Streatfeild's amanuensis and proof-reader - a nice association. Isprinsessa was first published as White Boots in 1951, and Cirkusen Kommer as The Circus... Learn More£75.00Stock Code: 111008
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STREATFEILD, Noel. Lisa goes to Russia.London : 1963
First edition, first impression, presentation copy inscribed on the half title, "To June my proof-reader-extraordinary, with love Noel". This book comes from the library of June Allen, Streatfeild's amanuensis and proof-reader - a nice association. Learn More£150.00Stock Code: 111010
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STREATFEILD, Noel. Osbert.New York, Chicago & San Francisco : 1950
First edition, first printing, presentation copy inscribed on the front free endpaper, "June, you missed typing this which was a good thing as it was heavy work!! but here it is with my love Noel". This book comes from the library of June Allen, Streatfeild's amanuensis and proof-reader - a nice association. Very scarce signed. Learn More£300.00Stock Code: 111049
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POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Little Pig Robinson.Philadelphia : 1930
First US edition, first printing. McKay were prepared to publish more black and white illustrations than the UK publishers, Warne, resulting in an additional 12 drawings appearing in the US edition, as well as 13 head and tails for the chapters. The colour plates were the same for both editions. The two editions were likely published simultaneously,... Learn More£1,250.00Stock Code: 110586
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(GRAY, Millicent Etheldreda.) QUILLER-COUCH, Mabel & Lilian. A Book of Children's Verse.London : [1911]
First and limited edition, number 37 of 100 numbered copies signed by the illustrator. Millicent Etheldreda Gray (1873-1957) is little known but her charming work here is full of atmosphere; she also illustrated an edition of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. Learn More£875.00Stock Code: 110552
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BROWN, Margaret Wise. The Fish with the Deep Sea Smile.New York : 1938
First edition, first printing, of the author's collection of short stories. Learn More£225.00Stock Code: 110209
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![Penelope's Progress being such extracts from the Commonplace Book of Penelope Hamilton as relate to her Experiences in Scotland [and] Penelope's English Experiences.](https://d3dzzbbvj9im7s.cloudfront.net/media/catalog/product/cache/ae0834d12b7cf129fc73bcc000ea526a/1/1/110167comp.jpg)
WIGGIN, Kate Douglas. Penelope's Progress being such extracts from the Commonplace Book of Penelope Hamilton as relate to her Experiences in Scotland [and] Penelope's English Experiences.Boston and New York : 1900
First illustrated editions, both copies inscribed and signed by Wiggin on the front free endpapers and Penelope's Progress with the title page additionally signed and dated 1901, and an autograph note signed tipped in. Penelope's Progress is inscribed quoting the first sentence of the book: "We have travelled together before, Salemina, Francesca, and... Learn More£675.00Stock Code: 110167
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PEAKE, Mervyn. Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor.London : 1939
First edition, first impression of the author's rare first book. "One of the first casualties of the blitz was Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor. The warehouse containing all available copies of the book was among the first to be bombed. Every copy was destroyed, cutting off Mervyn's income from that source and turning into rarities such copies as... Learn More£2,500.00Stock Code: 109937
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POTTER, Beatrix. Wag-by-Wall.London & New York : 1944
First UK edition, limited issue. Number 78 from a limited edition of 100 copies only, the only British publication. Potter originally conceived the story "as a pendant to The Tailor of Gloucester - the lonely old man and the lonely old woman, but I could never finish it." It was first written in 1909 under the title "The Little Black Kettle". Potter... Learn More£1,500.00Stock Code: 109499
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POTTER, Beatrix. Wag-by-Wall.Boston : 1944
First edition in book form, first printing. A limited edition of 100 copies was published in the UK, likely simultaneously, though the exact date is unknown. Potter originally conceived the story "as a pendant to The Tailor of Gloucester - the lonely old man and the lonely old woman, but I could never finish it." It was first written in 1909 under the... Learn More£500.00Stock Code: 109501
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POTTER, Beatrix. Plays based on the published stories.London : 1930-62
A group of six theatrical versions of Beatrix Potter stories, three titles with one or two variant issues. The Tailor and Gloucester and Ginger and Pickles were dramatized by Potter in collaboration with the character actor and director Ernest George Harcourt Williams; the others were adapted from her books without her direct involvement.
(i,... Learn More£1,000.00Stock Code: 109504
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ESTES, Eleanor. A Little Oven.New York : 1955
First edition, first printing. Presentation copy from the author, charmingly inscribed on the front free endpaper: "For Genevieve, This story of another Genevieve and of Helena - with lots of little 'ovin's and 'ugging - Eleanor Estes. Happy Birthday! October 16 1966"; this is a reference to the character of Helena in the book, whose mother picks her... Learn More£275.00Stock Code: 109643
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SMITH, Jessie Willcox (illus.); CROTHERS, Samuel McChord. The Children of Dickens.New York : 1925
First Jessie Willcox Smith illustrated edition. Learn More£375.00Stock Code: 109305
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WILDER, Laura Ingalls. These Happy Golden Years.New York : 1943
First edition, first printing. The eighth of nine titles in Wilder's Little House on the Prairie books. Learn More£1,225.00Stock Code: 109342
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WYETH, N. C. (illus.); VERNE, Jules. Michael Strogoff,New York : 1927
First edition, first printing, of Wyeth's illustrated version of Verne's tale. Learn More£850.00Stock Code: 109348
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DAHL, Roald. The Magic Finger.London : 1968
First UK edition, first impression. It was first published two years earlier in the US. Learn More£450.00Stock Code: 109379
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POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes.London : 1911
First edition, deluxe issue. From the library of Winifred Warne, the niece of Norman Warne. Learn More£4,500.00Stock Code: 109479
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POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Tom Kitten.London : 1907
First edition, deluxe issue. One of the scarcest deluxe editions, with just one copy of this first issue appearing at auction since 1975. Later issues have later endpapers. Learn More£8,500.00Stock Code: 109481
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POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes.London : 1911
First edition, deluxe issue, in red cloth. Learn More£3,000.00Stock Code: 109492
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[POTTER, Beatrix.] HEELIS, Beatrix. The Fairy Caravan.Philadelphia : 1929
First edition, signed limited issue. Number 11 of 100 copies signed by the author. Learn More£12,000.00Stock Code: 109178
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POTTER, Beatrix. Sister Anne.Philadelphia : 1932
First edition, second issue. With the frontispiece opposite the title page (it was first published incorrectly opposite p. 7). Learn More£800.00Stock Code: 109191
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POTTER, Beatrix. Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes.London : [1917]
First edition, first impression, rare in the jacket. One of the last letters Potter wrote to Norman Warne was about this book, but the project was laid aside with his death. Fruing Warne was pressing Potter for another book, and this compilation, rather than an original work, was agreed upon. The frontispiece was initially prepared for Hildesheimer... Learn More£2,750.00Stock Code: 109206
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POTTER, Beatrix. The Roly-Poly Pudding.London & New York : 1908
First edition, second impression, with 1908 on the title page, but the words "All rights reserved" omitted from the foot of the title page. Learn More£3,750.00Stock Code: 109223
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POTTER, Beatrix. The Tailor of Gloucester.London : 1903
First edition, first impression, deluxe issue, in an unrecorded morocco binding, apparently a publisher's binding, although not lettered as such. Bound in before the frontispiece is the extra illustration intended for the front cover label of regular copies. With the first impression points: the single endpaper occurring four times and the title page... Learn More£9,500.00Stock Code: 109235
