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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GREENAWAY, Kate. A Day in a Child's Life.
London : [1881]
First edition, first issue (green boards and endpapers), retaining the rare dust jacket, in exceptional condition. Learn More£2,000.00Stock Code: 18991
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COLLODI, Carlo. The Story of a Puppet or the Adventures of Pinocchio.
1892
First edition in English. The London and New York editions are from the same sheets and both dated 1892, although the inscription here suggests that the London edition at least was issued the previous year, presumably for the Christmas gift market. First issued in magazine instalments in the Giornale dei bambini (Rome, 7 July 1881 on), Pinocchio was... Learn More£7,500.00Stock Code: 44582
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STEINBECK, John. The Red Pony.
New York : 1937
First edition, one of 699 numbered copies on handmade paper, signed by the author, this being number 5. This copy is from the library of Steinbeck's sister, Elizabeth Steinbeck Ainsworth, who died in 1992. Learn More£3,750.00Stock Code: 44795
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PYLE, Howard. The Story of the Champions of the Round Table.
New York : 1905
First edition, first printing. Learn More£300.00Stock Code: 45237
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MILNE, A. A. Now We Are Six.
London : 1927
Signed extra-limited edition, number 18 of 20 copies signed by the author and illustrator and printed on Japanese vellumthe most luxurious and exclusive issue of the various formats done for the first editions of Milne's Pooh books. Learn More£6,750.00Stock Code: 62349
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SAVILLE, Malcolm. Treasure at Amorys. A Lone Pine Adventure.
1964
First edition, first impression. Number 15 in the Lone Pine Adventure series. Learn More£350.00Stock Code: 62402
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WODEHOUSE, P. G. The Gold Bat.
London : 1904
First edition, first impression. Learn More£2,000.00Stock Code: 66628
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HILL, Leonard. The Monkey Moo Book: Tails Which Fit Little Children.
London : 1931
First edition, first impression. Sir Leonard Hill (1866-1952) was an innovative British physiologist, a talented painter, and writer of children's fairytales. The publisher's retained copy with their stamp to the front panel of the dust jacket and the front pastedown. Learn More£250.00Stock Code: 94578
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ESTES, Eleanor. Ginger Pye.
New York : 1951
First edition, first printing. The 1952 Newbery Medal winner for excellence in American children's literature. A heart warming story of two children and the puppy they love. Learn More£575.00Stock Code: 95720
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ROBINS, Joan. Addie Meets Max.
New York : 1985
First edition, first printing. Inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, to the now late, Barbara Karlin, fellow children's author and L. A. and New York Times book reviewer, "To Barbara, a wonderful friend of books and to me. With love Joan." Also laid in is a letter from the author speaking of their last meeting and purpose of sending this... Learn More£65.00Stock Code: 95786
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CUSHMAN, Karen. The Midwife's Apprentice.
New York : 1995
First edition, first printing. The 1996 Newbery Award Medal winner. Learn More£150.00Stock Code: 95982
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STEADMAN, Ralph. Little.com.
London : 2000
First edition, first impression. Signed limited edition, number 262 of 400 specially bound copies signed by the artist on the half-title, of which 300 were numbered for sale and 100 were reserved for the artist. Learn More£225.00Stock Code: 98043
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BAUM, L. Frank - Ruth Plumly Thompson. The Silver Princess in Oz.
Chicago : 1938
First edition, first printing, first state "A" binding with spine illustration of Handy Mandy's face. The 31st Oz book, one of the works. Scarce in such good condition. Learn More£800.00Stock Code: 99736
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EMBERLEY, Ed (illus.); EMBERLEY, Barbara. One Wide River To Cross.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ : 1966
First edition, first printing. Presentation copy with an original illustration of an ark in pencil on the verso of front endpaper, "For Mary for "the Old lady" Ed Emberley Ipswich Spring 1967." The recipient, Mary C. Rife, was a noted children's librarian for more than 50 years, spending her last 30 years co-ordinating Children's Library Services for... Learn More£250.00Stock Code: 100911
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RAND, Ann & Paul. Sparkle and Spin.
New York : 1957
First edition, first printing, of the Rands's second picture book. Paul Rand (1914-1996) was an American commercial artist who, together with his wife Ann, produced four picture books combining rhythmic verse with illustrations exhibiting Paul's interest in Swiss Style graphic design. Rand is best known for his corporate logo designs, including the... Learn More£750.00Stock Code: 102016
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DULAC, Edmund (illus.); CRARY, Mary. The Daughters of the Stars.
London : 1939
Signed limited edition, number 424 of 500 copies signed by both author and illustrator. "Publication of this book encountered delays and difficulties because of the outbreak of World War II. Since paper and workmen were fast being commandeered by the British government, the book was rushed into print despite the fact that only two Dulac illustrations... Learn More£1,000.00Stock Code: 102148
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RACKHAM, Arthur (illus.); ROSSETTI, Christina. Goblin Market.
London : 1933
Signed limited edition, number 183 of 410 copies signed by the illustrator. Learn More£1,000.00Stock Code: 102240
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DE LA MARE, Walter, & Harold Jones. This Year: Next Year.
London : 1937
First edition, first impression, of this delightful book, scarce in the dust jacket. "Harold Jones's lithographs for de la Mare's This Year: Next Year (1937) marked the emergence of a fresh talent in book illustration; and the flat colours strike the eye as something quite new" (Horne, The Dictionary of 20th Century British Book Illustrators, p. 265).... Learn More£375.00Stock Code: 103880
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BLACKMORE, Richard Doddridge. Fringilla, some tales in verse.
Cleveland : 1895
First edition, together with the first US edition, limited issue (number 472 of 600 copies). With the ownership signature of James Warren English (1837-1925) to the front pastedown of the London edition; he was mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, 1881-83. An interesting pair of this work by the author of Lorna Doone, showing the contrasting treatment given to... Learn More£875.00Stock Code: 104558
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BRENT-DYER, Elinor M. The Feud in the Chalet School.
Edinburgh & London : [1962]
First edition. Learn More£175.00Stock Code: 76599
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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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TOZER, Katharine. The Wanderings of Mumfie.
London : 1935
First edition, first impression, presentation copy inscribed,"For Mrs Macdonald, with love and gratitude for her extreme kindness to me. Katherine Tozer." Learn More£750.00Stock Code: 79399
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WODEHOUSE, P. G. William Tell Told Again.
London : [1904]
First edition, first impression with only the early ads, as called for by McIlvaine. William Tell Told Again was one of Wodehouse's earliest books, published prior to his success with the Jeeves stories. Learn More£975.00Stock Code: 88882
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WODEHOUSE, P. G. The Gold Bat.
London : 1904
First edition, first impression, of this Wodehouse schoolboy classic. Learn More£3,750.00Stock Code: 88989
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BERTON, Pierre. The Secret World of Og.
Toronto : 1961
First edition, first printing. Fantasy novel based on the author's own children. Basis for the animated television series of same title. Learn More£650.00Stock Code: 89285
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BANKS, Lynne Reid. The Indian in the Cupboard; The Return of the Indian.
Garden City, New York; : 1980
First US editions, The Indian in the Cupboard is lacking the inserted publisher's card stating illustrator information. First published in the UK the same year. The story of a boy who receives a plastic Indian and an old cupboard for his birthday, a gift which changes his life. Learn More£300.00Stock Code: 91632
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WELTY, Eudora. The Shoe Bird.
New York : 1964
First edition, first printing. Learn More£275.00Stock Code: 105755
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CARROLL, Lewis. Mischmasch.
Oxford : November 1882
Mischmasch, a wordplay game for two players, was first published in The Monthly Packet in June 1881 (pp. 491-2). This is a revised anonymous reprint of that article, with some minor revisions. The article was originally credited to Lewis Carroll, rules 5 and 6 were transposed, and a note requesting comments and criticism was appended. The game requires... Learn More£2,750.00Stock Code: 108889
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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 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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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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HOWE, James. Nighty-Nightmare.
New York : 1987
First edition, first printing. A sequel to Bunnicula told from a dog's point of view. Learn More£65.00Stock Code: 95855
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TUDOR, Tasha. Linsey Woolsey.
New York : 1946
First edition, first printing. Part of the Calico series, this title tells the charming tale of a little lamb. Written about actual happening on the author's farm. Tudor's illustrations capture the ideal American country lifestyle. Learn More£250.00Stock Code: 96057
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STEIG, William. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.
New York : 1969
First edition, first printing. Winner of the 1970 Caldecott Medal. Learn More£1,250.00Stock Code: 96726
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YOLEN, Jane; DYER, Jane (illus.) Picnic with Piggins.
San Diego : 1988
First edition, first printing. Presentation copy inscribed by the author on the half-title: "For Barbara. Pig out, kid! Love ya! Jane. Jane Yolen, 1988." The second title in Yolen and Dyer's series about Piggins, the porcine puzzle-solver. Learn More£125.00Stock Code: 96989
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ALEXANDER, Sue; BLOOM, Lloyd (illus.) Nadia the Willful.
New York : 1983
First edition, first printing. Presentation copy inscribed on the front free endpaper by the author to Barbara Karlin, the author and reviewer of children's books: "For Barbara Karlin, my heart book to my heart friend. With love, Sue Alexander, May 1983." With Karlin's bookplate to rear panel of dust jacket. Learn More£100.00Stock Code: 96998
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THURBER, James. Many Moons.
New York : 1943
First edition, first printing. Winner of the 1944 Caldecott Medal. This was Thurber's first title for children, which tells a tale of a princess who sets her sights on the moon. Learn More£1,200.00Stock Code: 97530
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DISNEY, Walt (prod.); BROWN, Margaret Wise. The Ugly Duckling.
Boston : 1939
First edition, first printing. A fantastic group of original Disney Studio celluloids. Due to accurate representations being distorted with some license holders, Disney decided that in-house illustrators were their best option in accurate representations of their characters, which resulted in stories such as this one having its illustrations as celluloid... Learn More£5,550.00Stock Code: 98003
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BAUM, L. Frank. The Wizard of Oz Waddle Book.
New York : 1934
First edition, first state, with publisher's imprint to the spine. A most unusual toy book; the reader was invited to take the die-cut figures and assemble them into three dimensional models which, when placed on the provided sloping runway, would move or "waddle" down on their own. A very scarce Oz title, this is one of very few known copies containing... Learn More£13,000.00Stock Code: 98934
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SEUSS, Dr. The Cat in the Hat Comes Back.
New York : 1958
First edition, first printing. Inscribed by Dr. Seuss on verso of the front free endpaper, "for Terry Caywood-Best Wishes Dr. Seuss." Learn More£1,500.00Stock Code: 99818
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BAUM, L. Frank - John R. Neill. The Wonderful City of Oz.
Chicago : 1940
First edition, first printing, first state. The first John Neill authored Oz title. Learn More£1,200.00Stock Code: 99834
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TUDOR, Tasha. The Dolls' Christmas.
New York : 1950
First edition, first printing. Signed by the author on the front free endpaper. Learn More£375.00Stock Code: 99849
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POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Pigling Bland.
London : 1913
First edition (the first two printings are identical). Extremely scarce in the jacket with just three copies appearing at auction since 1975. Learn More£3,000.00Stock Code: 100374
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DUVOISIN, Roger. See What I Am.
New York : 1974
First edition, first printing. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the dedication page, together with a small drawing of a cat: "To Helen and Max from Roger and from the real Max with love." 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... Learn More£875.00Stock Code: 100549
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RACKHAM, Arthur (illus.); RUSKIN, John. The King of the Golden River.
London : 1932
Signed limited edition, number 232 of 570 copies signed by the illustrator. Learn More£1,000.00Stock Code: 102241
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[HUGHES, Thomas.] Tom Brown's School Days.
Cambridge : 1857
First edition of the author's classic novel celebrating the ethos of ninteenth-century English Public Schools. The book's popularity "must be linked to its powerful structuring myth in which Rugby School is England, and the experience of the boy, learning self-reliance so that authority may be delegated to him, symbolizes the experience of the man of... Learn More£1,500.00Stock Code: 102457
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PEAKE, Mervyn (illus.) Ride a Cock-Horse and Other Nursery Rhymes.
London : 1940
First edition, first impression, first issue (without the dedication page). This is Mervyn Peake's first commission as illustrator and his second illustrated book, following Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor (1939); its success led to Chatto & Windus commissioning Peake to illustrate their edition of Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark (1941).... Learn More£575.00Stock Code: 103247
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TARKINGTON, Booth. Penrod.
Garden City, NY : 1914
First edition, first printing, first issue binding of meshed cloth, first state with p. viii numbered and the misprint "sence" p. 19, third line from bottom. Later copies were issued with ribbed cloth bindings. This is the first of three novels following the misadventures of Penrod Schofield, a Midwestern Tom Sawyer whom Tarkington modelled on his mischievous... Learn More£575.00Stock Code: 103465
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MATTHIESSEN, Peter. The Great Auk Escape.
London : 1974
First UK edition, first impression of Matthiessen's only children's book. It was first published in the US under the title Seal Pool in 1972. Learn More£275.00Stock Code: 103561
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RACKHAM, Arthur (illus.); GOLDSMITH, Oliver. The Vicar of Wakefield.
Philadelphia : 1929
First U.S. Rackham Edition. Learn More£180.00Stock Code: 15069
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RACKHAM, Arthur (illus.); MERRIMAN, Henry Seton. The Grey Lady.
London : 1897
First edition. Learn More£295.00Stock Code: 15421
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CARLSON, George. Peter Puzzlemaker
New York : 1922
First Edition. Learn More£150.00Stock Code: 18358
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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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LIECK, Albert. The Flying Horse.
London : 1920
First edition, the dedication copy, inscribed by the author to his daughter on the dedication page, expanding on the printed dedication: This book is dedicated to "Sophie Lieck," the child who helped to make it ", and is presented to her by the author". At page 82, the last page of chapter 7, Lieck has carefully transcribed the first stanza of Canto... Learn More£750.00Stock Code: 47856
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MEYER, Stephanie. [The Twilight series:] Twilight; New Moon; Eclipse; Breaking Dawn.
New York : 2005-08
All first editions, first printings. Eclipse and Breaking Dawn are signed by Meyer to the title page. Together with a loose photograph of Meyer signing Eclipse and an advance screening invite for New Moon on Broadway. Learn More£3,000.00Stock Code: 50834
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ROBINSON, W. Heath. The Adventures of Uncle Lubin.
London : 1902
First edition of what is probably the scarcest of all Robinson's books. Learn More£2,500.00Stock Code: 79510
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RACKHAM, Arthur. Original preliminary drawing for Ingoldsby Legends. "The Kitchen."
London, : 1898
A similar but less complete drawing of this kitchen was used as the background for a woman striking her drunken husband over the head with a stool to accompany "The Ghost" on page 73 of "Ingoldsby Legends". 96121
Learn More£2,500.00Stock Code: 85285
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DOISNEAU, Robert. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Lausanne : 1955
First edition, first impression. Guild du Livre and Editions Clairfontaine are the same publisher. Guild du Livre being the subscriber's arm of the company where the books are issued first at a reduced rate to subscribers with a different cover to the retail version. This copy has the Guild du Livre imprint. Text in French. Learn More£700.00Stock Code: 86597
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KELLOGG, Steven. Pinkerton, Behave!
New York : 1979
First edition, first printing. Warmly inscribed by Kellogg with an original ink illustration of Pinkerton on front free endpaper. A delightful children's picture book of the adventures of a Great Dane puppy. Learn More£100.00Stock Code: 89240
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KENDALL, Carol. The Gammage Cup.
New York : 1959
First edition, first printing. An ALA notable children's title, also 1960 Newbery Honor title.
This fantasy novel for young adults returned to the spotlight in 1999 during a legal dispute over J. K. Rowling's invention of the word Muggles in the Harry Potter series. Muggles is a character in this novel, although Carol Kendall was more amused... Learn More£1,000.00Stock Code: 89563