About this Item
Second impression of the true first edition, published in February 1944. The book was first published in May 1943. A scarce early reprint of Alison Uttley's collection of fairy tales in a near fine dustwrapper. Beautifully illustrated with line drawings by Irene Hawkins. ***Near fine in green cloth-covered boards with blue titles to the spine. The titles are nice and bright, and the boards are beautifully clean, having been protected by the dustwrapper. The top corner tip is just very slightly creased, otherwise no bumps, creases or tears. The cloth of the spine is not torn and is beautifully clean and bright. Internally, the book is also near fine, with no inscriptions and clean pages. No offsetting and no foxing or marks to the printed pages. Spine tight. Although the book is 'produced in complete conformity with the authorized economy standards' i.e. wartime restrictions, the thin paper is uncreased and not tanned. ***In a near fine original colour printed dustwrapper, that has not been price-clipped, retaining the original publisher's printed price of 5s. net. The dustwrapper is virtually complete, with just small loss at the top of the spine, and a very small chip at the bottom of the spine, not affecting the lettering. The fragile head of the spine of the dustwrapper is neatly reinforced on the back. Slight creasing and rubbing to the extremities. The yellow colour has faded slightly on the spine. The dustwrapper is really clean and bright, and presents very well. [please see scans] ***191 pages. 206 mm x 140 mm. ***Contents: Rag-and-Bone, The Musical Box, The Red Hen, Green Shoes, Cowslip-Maid, The Holly Bears a Berry, The Grandfather Clock, The Child and the Fairy, The Singing Kettle, Rock, Ball and Fiddle, Star-Shine, Elizabeth, Betsy, Eliza and Bess. ***'A book of original fairy tales, imbued with country lore and magic, with a background of woods and fields and cottages where simple folk live. For the author everything has a life of its own, whether stick, stone, or pan, and each tale is a discovery of that secret life. The twelve tales are for all ages, for they seek to bring back memories and dreams and fancies which have been forgotten. They are tales of the invisible, of lore, of dream, when the Great Bear roams the wintry sky, and a dwarf taps at the kitchen door, and a fairy child plays in the field at some age-old game. The title is a country call, used to answer the cuckoo's song, or to find a hidden playfellow. It is the chant which country children sang in the fields and lanes in the author's childhood.' [Quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper] ***'Alison Uttley (17 December 1884 - 7 May 1976), née Alice Jane Taylor, was an English writer of over 100 books. She is best known for a children's series about Little Grey Rabbit and Sam Pig. She is also remembered for a pioneering time slip novel for children, "A Traveller in Time", about the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots.' [Wiki] ***A second impression of the true first edition, published during the Second World War in 1944, in the original dustwrapper. A beautiful copy of this work by prolific children's writer Alison Uttley, fampus for her "Little Grey Rabbit" books, in near fine condition. Copies of children's books from this period in such well-preserved condition are extremely scarce today. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. Seller Inventory # 8315
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