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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ARUEGO, Jose, & Ariane Dewey. We Hide, You Seek.New York : 1979
First edition, first printing. Presentation copy inscribed with an original drawing by one of the author-illustrators on verso of front free endpaper: "To my friends in Mrs. Alexander's First Grade Class. Love, Jose Aruego 9/29/84". A vibrantly illustrated children's book, this is the seventh collaboration of Aruego and Dewey. Learn More£100.00Stock Code: 94380
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ANDERSON, Laurie. The Package. A Mystery.New York : 1971
First edition, first printing of the renowned performance artist's first book. "One day my five-year-old sister asked, 'Laurie, which of us is dreaming?' This is what The Package is about" (jacket blurb). A mystery story for children in pictures alone in which "a painting can be walked into and an architectural blueprint becomes an actual, enterable... Learn More£300.00Stock Code: 94390
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PARIN D'AULAIRE, Ingri and Edgar. Leif The Lucky.Garden City, : 1941
First edition, first printing. Laid in is a hand written letter on the authors' stationery to Miss Julia Carter thanking her for her hospitality when they visited her in Cincinnati. Julia F. Carter, was the first full time children's librarian at the New York Public Library. Miss Carter was also the first national president of the Division of Library... Learn More£475.00Stock Code: 93510
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MILHOUSE, Katherine. The Egg Tree.New York : 1950
First edition, early printing. Presentation copy signed by the author to Julia Carter and with an original drawing on verso of front free endpaper. Julia F. Carter was the first full time children's librarian at the New York Public Library. Miss Carter was also the first national president of the Division of Library Work with Children and Young People... Learn More£450.00Stock Code: 93163
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MALKUS, Alida Sims. Eastward Sweeps the Current.Chicago : 1937
First edition, first printing. Inscribed by the author to Julia F. Carter on the half-title verso, "For Miss Julia Carter, with warm appreciation of her kindness. Alida Malkus Cincinnati Nov. 5 1937." Julia F. Carter was the first full time children's librarian at the New York Public Library. Miss Carter was also the first national president of the... Learn More£150.00Stock Code: 93380
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CARROLL, Ruth. Chessie.New York : 1936
First edition, first printing. Signed by the author on verso of front free endpaper. A children's tale based on the true story of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad's stowaway kitten. Learn More£350.00Stock Code: 92609
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LATHROP, Dorothy. Puppies for Keeps.New York : 1943
First edition, first printing. Bookplate of Julia F. Carter to front pastedown. With a collection of 4 christmas cards/notes from the author to Julia F. Carter. Julia F. Carter, was the first full time children's librarian at the New York Public Library. Miss Carter was also the first national president of the Division of Library Work with Children... Learn More£425.00Stock Code: 92611
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NESS, Evaline. Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine.New York : 1966
First edition, first printing of the 1967 Caldecott Medal winner. Picture book of a little girl whom pretends that her mother is a mermaid and that Bangs, her cat, can talk to her. Learn More£325.00Stock Code: 92806
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HAWES, Grace F. A Book of Bunnies.New York : 1910
First edition, first printing. Signed by the author to lower front of the title page, "Hand coloured by Grace F. Hawes". Each page features a delightful bunny illustration followed by a verse. A very scarce title with only one showing on WorldCat at the Cotsen Library of Princeton. The Cotsen Library notes that, "The illustrations, reversed, inverted... Learn More£650.00Stock Code: 92916
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BRADBURY, Bianca. Muggins.Boston : 1944
First edition, first prinitng. Adventures of a curious little kitten. Illustrated throughout by Diana Thorne, who is a noted animal artist, especially her works featuring canines. Learn More£150.00Stock Code: 92920
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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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TUDOR, Tasha. Edgar Allan Crow.New York : 1953
First edition, first printing. A charming story of a crow and his adopted human family. Based on the true tale of the author's family. Learn More£425.00Stock Code: 91638
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PEAKE, Mervyn (illus.) Ride a Cock-Horse.London : 1940
First edition, first impression. 14 nursery rhymes, including "Old King Cole", "How Many Miles to Babylon?" and "Doctor Foster Went to Glo'ster", each accompanied by a full-page illustration. This was the second book Peake illustrated and its success led to Chatto & Windus commissioning Peake to illustrate their edition of Lewis Carroll's The Hunting... Learn More£650.00Stock Code: 90436
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PARRISH, Maxfield (illus.); SAUNDERS, Louise. The Knave of Hearts.New York : 1925
First Edition, First Printing. Parrish was especially well-served here by a beautifully printed volume with superbly done colour reproductions. The publisher spared no expense, and priced the book at 10.00, a very high price for the day. Learn More£3,500.00Stock Code: 90269
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WELLS, H. G. Floor Games.London : 1911
First edition, first impression. Written for the author's two sons, Floor Games explores the possibilities of imaginative play, city building, exploration, and war. Rare in the dust jacket. Learn More£1,500.00Stock Code: 90331
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THEROUX, Alexander. Master Snickup's Cloak.New York : 1979
First US edition. The author's third book, ostensibly a children's picture book but textually dense and thematically pitch-black. Learn More£150.00Stock Code: 90334
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ATWATER, Richard & Florence. Mr. Popper's Penguins.Boston : 1938
First edition, first printing. From the legendary editor, Margaret K. McElderry collection, with a pencil note on front flap in her hand "M. K. McE. for his Majesty H.L.R." McElderry was known as the "grande dame of children's publishing." She became the first publisher to have titles win the Caldecott and Newbery Awards in the same year. Mr. Popper's... Learn More£1,250.00Stock Code: 90335
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JUSTER, Norton. The Phantom Tollbooth.London : 1962
First UK edition, first printing, first published the previous year in New York. Learn More£1,250.00Stock Code: 89944
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DISNEY, Walt (inscr.); PALMER, H. Marion. Walt Disney's Surprise Package.New York : 1944
First edition, first printing. Inscribed on the verso of the front free endpaper in crayon to "Mimi Bonesteel, Happy Easter, Walt Disney." Learn More£5,000.00Stock Code: 89991
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LOWRY, Lois. The Giver.Boston : 1993
First edition, first printing. Inscribed by Lowry to M. M. Kimmel on the title page, "For Maggie, ( Speaking of Givers-), with love Lois Lowry 1995." Margaret Mary Kimmel is a professor emerita in the School of Library and Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. She has served on many important library councils including, the Carnegie... Learn More£1,750.00Stock Code: 89693
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MACLACHLAN, Patricia. Sarah, Plain and Tall.New York : 1985
First edition, first printing. Winner of the 1986 Newbery Medal, for outstanding children's literature as well as the 1986 Golden Kite Award winner. Story is set around a widowed husband putting an ad in the local newspaper for a new wife to help care for his two children, set in the early part of the 19th century. Learn More£575.00Stock Code: 89694
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CHESS, Victoria, & Edward Gorey. Fletcher and Zenobia.New York : 1967
First edition, first printing. Inscribed by Victoria Chess on the front free endpaper and with her drawing of a very fat cat in blue felt pen: "For Bob & Helena, from Victoria Chess, 20.2.68". Learn More£575.00Stock Code: 89504
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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
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DE ANGELI, Marguerite. The Door In The Wall.Garden City, New York : 1949
First edition, first printing. Inscribed by author to Julie F. Carter on the verso of the title page, 'For Julia Carter, with my warm greetings and in memory of a happy dinner party long ago, affectionately Marguerite De Angeli, 1949.' Winner of the 1950 Newbery Medal. Julia F. Carter, was the first full time children's librarian at the New York Public... Learn More£775.00Stock Code: 89564
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HORLER, Sydney. The Man Who Walked With Death.New York : 1931
First American edition. Murder mystery novel featuring the character Brett Carstairs. Learn More£200.00Stock Code: 89686
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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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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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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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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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JUSTER, Norton; Jules Feiffer. The Phantom Tollbooth.New York : 1961
First edition, first printing with publisher Epstein and Carroll printed on dust jacket and stated on title page (later editions have Random House as publisher). Signed by illustrator Jules Feiffer on title page. True first printings of this title are very uncommon and signed copies even more so. Learn More£2,000.00Stock Code: 88205
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RACKHAM, Arthur (illus.); GRIMM, [Jacob & Wilhelm]. The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm.New York : 1909
Deluxe American Edition. Limited to 50 copies. Signed by Arthur Rackham on the verso of the half-title. This is a revised edition of the work originally published in 1900 with some new illustrations and others redrawn and coloured. Learn More£4,500.00Stock Code: 86981
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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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STEADMAN, Ralph. Little.com.London : 2000
First edition, first impression. Signed by the author on the half-title. Learn More£100.00Stock Code: 85882
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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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RACKHAM, Arthur. Original preliminary drawing for Ingoldsby Legends. "With Iron it's Plated and Machecollated, To Pour Boiling Oil and Lead Down: How You'd Frown Should a Ladle-Full Fall on Your Crown".London, : c.1898
This is a preliminary sketch for the published drawing that accompanied the rhyme "Bloudie Jack of Shrewsberrie, The Shropshire Bluebeard", that appears on page 405 of "Ingoldsby Legends". Learn More£3,750.00Stock Code: 85307
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RACKHAM, Arthur (illus.); ANDERSEN, Hans [Christian]. Fairy Tales.London : 1932
First Rackham trade edition in the publisher's deluxe binding. Learn More£1,250.00Stock Code: 85331
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PARRISH, Maxfield (illus.); HAWTHORNE, Nathaniel. A Wonder Book and Tanglewood Tales.New York : 1910
First Parrish edition, first impression. Learn More£200.00Stock Code: 84668
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![The Story of Little Jane and Me. [With] Polly and the Aunt. By the Aunt.](https://d3dzzbbvj9im7s.cloudfront.net/media/catalog/product/cache/ae0834d12b7cf129fc73bcc000ea526a/8/3/83337.jpg)
BLATCHFORD, Mary Edgecumbe. The Story of Little Jane and Me. [With] Polly and the Aunt. By the Aunt.Boston and New York : 1898 and October 1906
First editions, both inscribed by the author (the second work being the dedication copy) to Caroline Nelson Russell, "with the author's love" on the first blanks, with "Cambridge, June 9, 1905" in the first work, and "Cambridge, October 6, 1906" in the second work. The Story of Little Jane and Me bears M. E. Blatchford's own bookplate, making this her... Learn More£1,500.00Stock Code: 83337
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SEUSS, Dr. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.New York : 1938
First edition, later printing with the hats on the endpapers going from small to large. With the author's signed presentation inscription to the bottom of the verso of the original front free endpaper "With best wishes to Jack Macpherson Dr. Seuss." Learn More£3,250.00Stock Code: 80761
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OXENHAM, Elsie Jeanette. Rosamund's Castle.London : 1939
First edition, first impression, of the 27th title in the popular Abbey series. The publishing house Collins published the majority of the Abbey series, but Rosamund's Castle is one of only three to be published by The Girls Own Paper Office (G.O.P), a British story paper catered to young girls. Although a popular magazine with some notable contributors,... Learn More£1,000.00Stock Code: 80999
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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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NIELSEN, Kay (illus.) East of the Sun and West of the Moon.London : [1914]
First edition, first impression. Inscribed by the illustrator on the verso of the front free endpaper, "To Miss Bernadine Murphy with my kindest regards, Kay Nielsen, April 1947". Loosely inserted is a one-page autograph letter signed by Nielsen to the book's owner and dated October 10, 1948. Nielsen thanks Murphy for what seems to have been her attempt... Learn More£6,000.00Stock Code: 79481
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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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COLUM, Padraic. The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter.New York : 1920
First edition, first impression. Inscribed by the author to the American poet Barbara Howes on the front free endpaper, "For Barbara Howes, 'obsidian hooves for knelling? the end', Padraic Colum, Saffield July 1960". With Howes' bookplate and her pencilled ownership signature to the front free endpaper. Learn More£150.00Stock Code: 77766
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CARROLL, Lewis. Alice's Adventures Under Ground.London and New York : 1886
First and only edition, one of 5,000 copies printed of this facsimile of the first draft of Alice's Adventures in the author's hand (about 12,700 words compared to more than 26,700 in the published version), with his own illustrations, the later issue with white endpapers, apparently consisting of remainder sheets put into covers perhaps as late as... Learn More£1,750.00Stock Code: 76687
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RANSOME, Arthur. Coot Club.London : 1934
First edition, first impression. Learn More£315.00Stock Code: 76585
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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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COLFER, Eoin. The Legend of Captain Crow's Teeth.London : 2006
First edition, first impression. Learn More£35.00Stock Code: 74377
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COLFER, Eoin. Half Moon Investigations.London : 2006
First edition, first impression. Learn More£35.00Stock Code: 74391
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DULAC, Edmund. Lyrics Pathetic & Humorous from A to Z.London : [1908]
First edition, first impression. A lovely copy. Learn More£850.00Stock Code: 72562
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GIBBONS, Stella. The Untidy Gnome.London : 1935
First edition, first impression of a rare children's book by the author of Cold Comfort Farm. Inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "Stella Gibbons, Nov. 18 1936". We know of no other copy in private hands, and WorldCat locates only 11 in institutions. A lovely copy in the dust jacket. Learn More£1,750.00Stock Code: 70376
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AIKEN, Joan. All You've Ever Wanted. And Other Stories.London : 1953
First edition, first impression of the author's first book. Learn More£175.00Stock Code: 67849
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RACKHAM, Arthur (illus.); INGOLDSBY, Thomas, pseud. of Richard Harris Barham. The Ingoldsby Legends.London : 1907
First edition thus, Rackham's illustrated edition of Barham's Ingoldsby Legends, revised and largely redrawn from the original 1898 edition, so that "greater prominence could be given to the illustrations by better and larger reproductions, including a greater number of illustrations in colour" (Rackham's Prefatory Note). A very handsome copy. Learn More£975.00Stock Code: 66753
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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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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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SAVILLE, Malcolm. Not Scarlet But Gold. A Lone Pine Adventure.1966
First edition, first impression. Number 14 in the Lone Pine Adventure series. Learn More£200.00Stock Code: 62404
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KING, Jessie M. - WHITE, Colin. The Enchanted World of Jessie M. King.1989
First edition, first impression. With a bibliographical checklist of books illustrated by Jessie M. King at the back. Learn More£200.00Stock Code: 61632
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OUTHWAITE, Ida Rentoul. Bunny and Brownie. The adventures of George & Wiggle.1930
First edition, first impression. Learn More£2,250.00Stock Code: 60020
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LEGGE, Janie. A Little Book of Legends for Children.1925
First edition, first impression. Learn More£125.00Stock Code: 50737
