Most people, when asked about their favorite book, will invariably include a book they read as a child. Hemingway famously proclaimed that "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn". Twain's book, like its predecessor, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, were books whose intended audience was young readers. Such books speak to us on multiple levels. As literature, they are well-crafted and clever with memorable characters and conflicts, but they matter to us for more than these reasons because we discovered them at a formative period of our lives. Their ideas helped to form our own, and so they are more personal ...
Read more about Children's Books and Toys
Budapest: Borda Antikvárium, 1997. Slim octavo. (18)ff. One of 70 copies, signed by Regina Szász, who designed, illustrated, and bound the book. A charming, bilingual edition, printed in brown and black on colored papers, with a fold-out illustration for each fable. The Italian text is printed in such a way..... More
NY: Frederick A. Stokes Company, (1924). First American edition. One of only 250 copies designated for the United States from a total edition of 2,000. The handsomely produced and lavishly illustrated tale of an old man who builds a square-rigged ship with the help of fairy artisans, and sails through..... More
NY: Wood, Samuel, & Sons, (1823). 24mo. 68pp. Small engravings throughout provide visual references for each stage of this young reader's primer. The primer's front matter includes a reprinting of its trademark, as issued by the Southern District of New York, as well as a preface written by the publisher..... More
Paris: Marcilly Ainé, (1825). Six 32mo. volumes, 31pp. each, except "Normandie," which is 32pp. Each volume bears two full-page color engravings, focusing on the different attire worn in the various French regions represented among the set and some of their most notable cities. The six volumes discuss Normandy, Béarn and..... More
NY and Toronto: Frederick A. Stokes, 1941. 32mo. (10)pp. A pleasantly illustrated children's book demonstrating a young girl's education in the use of "please," by means of asking for a miniature book. In a clever publication move, the miniature book itself appears at the final page, tucked in a pocket..... More
(Mexico City: D. E. Herrero Y Cia, c. 1955). Oblong octavo. (56)pp. Tenth edition (stated). With a pedagogical outline from the Secretary of Education. Beginning with correct posture for standing and running, the text covers a wide range of topics designed to encourage good habits, understand natural phenomena, and become..... More
NY: Simon and Schuster, 1971. First edition, first printing. Inscribed by the author and signed by the illustrator at the front flyleaf. A young-adult retelling of two fugitive slaves in the mid-19th century. The dedicatory statements after the title page elucidate the historical threads binding the author to the Crafts'..... More
York: J. Kendrew, (c. 1820). 48mo. A collection of verses for children, illustrated throughout with woodcut vignettes on nearly every page, and a large cut of a preacher at his pulpit to the rear cover. Slight split starting to spine, else near fine in white printed wrappers. (Davis 42; Gumuchian..... More
NY: Kiggins & Kellogg, (c. 1860). 32mo. 24pp. Decorated with various wood engravings. An impressive collection of riddles and rebuses, for at-home amusement. Bound in pale pink wrappers. Fine. More
NY: Kiggins & Kellogg, (c. 1865). 8pp. One full-page engraving and six half-page engravings. Each image is accompanied by explanatory text on the object's creation and function. Examples include a tub, a raft, and a bed. In plain paper wrappers, with advertisement for Kiggins & Kellogg at rear. Remarkably crisp..... More
NY: Kiggins & Kellogg. 64mo. 8pp. Illustrated with six woodcuts, plus a title-page vignette. The images are highly detailed for their small size—a ship at sea buffeted by rolling waves under thick clouds, and a fish at the end of a fishing line with an entire landscape scene behind it..... More
Philadelphia: Kimber and Conrad, (c. 1812). 24mo. (24)pp., partially unopened. Illustrated with twenty-two half-page wood engravings, each with a simple sentence underneath related to the image; also included is a full-page engraving on the title page. The woodcuts are all collected from other books. On the back of the title..... More
Poughkeepsie, NY: Artists & Writers Guild, 1935. First American edition. Clare Leighton's children's story narrates the vengeance of a forest and all its creatures after a couple cuts it down in order to build a house. Leighton's woodcuts are here more cartoonish than in her "adult" work, but nevertheless bear..... More
London (but Hertfordshire): John Marshall (but Anne and Peter Stockham), 1801 (but 1976). One of forty-eight copies. In this "cabinet," there are two miniature books and a collection of twenty-eight hand-colored engravings of the objects listed in the books. The books are bound in full leather, one maroon and one..... More
New York: McLoughlin Bros. 1898. Small quarto. (12)ff. A painting book for children, including six color sample pages and six pages showing the same images as outlines. With faded hues similar to those in the full-color images, the outlines suggest colors for the young painter to use. The verso of..... More
Springfield, MA: McLoughlin Bros. 1940-1941. Four quarto volumes. (60)pp. each. Illustrated throughout in color and black & white. This set of four volumes come from the McLoughlin Bros. series "The Little Color Classics," with the titles "Raggedy Ann Helps Grandpa Hoppergrass" (#843), "Raggedy Ann and the Hoppy Toad" (#844), "Raggedy..... More
NY: McLoughlin Bros. (c. 1873). (12)pp. A chapbook of moral songs by Isaac Watts, illustrated with four color engravings. Part of a series of "Illuminated texts for Sunday school rewards" published by McLoughlin Brothers. Minor internal soiling, previous owner's stamp to inside rear wrapper, which has offset onto last page..... More
London: Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, (1891). Small quarto. 64pp. First edition. With photo-etched illustrations in black & white throughout by Mrs. E. M. Boyd, Mr. R. André, and by the poet, Louisa A. Meredith. Although born in Birmingham, England, Meredith moved to New South Wales, and then Tasmania, after..... More
Concord, NH: J. A. Merriam & Rufus Merrill, (c. 1855). Small octavo. 16pp. Wood engravings throughout illustrate the rhyming tale of two children lost in a forest, who are captured by ruffians before finding their way home again. The author, "H. S. B.", provides a preface asserting that this version..... More
Troy, NY: Merriam & Moore, (c. 1830). 24mo. 12pp. Replete with engravings, including two on the verso of the title page. Seven of the engravings are by Alexander Anderson. This story was derived from Maria Edgeworth's "Frank," a collection of children's moral tales each involving the idyllic titular child. The..... More
Conway, MA: Robert L. Merriam, 1975. 24pp. One of 1000 copies. Every other page illustrated with quaint scenes from the moral tale. Bound in pale paper wrappers and housed in yellow paper slipcase. Fine. (2 7/16 by 1 11/16; 62x44mm). More
Wendell, MA: J. Metcalf, 1828. 16mo. 16pp. Illustrated with numerous woodcut vignettes. The text consists of two stories: that of William and Ellen, who are made to suffer a number of unfortunate mishaps as a result of the handiwork of a naughty boy, who gets his comeuppance in the end;..... More
(N.p. Michael Mar Press, 1977). Small quarto. (16)ff. One of twelve copies, hand-produced by jewelry designer Michael Dorsa and bookbinder Margaret Rhein. With twelve color illustrations. The text and images were both from an original work written and drawn in 1964 by Mike Dorsa and Tom Warner, age nine. In..... More
Paris: Didot, Typographie de Firmin, (c. 1810). 124pp. Eight engravings on beige paper. The absurd adventures of Pierrot, born from a turkey's egg to La Fee Gourmande, and dedicated to gourmandise from that moment on, until his gluttony proves too much and dooms him. In a contemporary binding: full blue-green..... More
Paris: Laurent et Deberny, 1850. 250pp. A beautiful edition, printed by Plon Frères in wonderfully clear type. A copy of this edition was shown as a star exhibit at the 1850 Paris Exposition, according to Bondy. This copy has a fore-edge painting by Martin Frost. In fine lines and with..... More
