Children
Beatrix Potter
Biggles & Tintin
C.S. Lewis & Tolkien
Campfire & Wigwam
Eloise & Madeline
On The Water
Pets
Roald Dahl
Winnie-The-Pooh
Fairy Tales
Routledge's Every Girl's Annual -
Alicia A. Leith [editor], Kate Greenaway, F. A. Fraser, M. E. Edwards [illustrators]
1881 - George Routledge & Sons, London - First Edition
A near fine early edition of this Girl’s annual, which was published between 1878 and 1886. Wonderfully illustrated throughout, in colour and monochrome, by some of the best Children’s illustrators of the time including Kate Greenaway who provides the colour title page and frontispiece.
Over 500 pages of stories, poetry, puzzles, music, proverbs, history, and useful pieces on ‘what girl’s can do’ such as etching, needlework, and cookery.
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Price HK$ 1,100
1881 - George Routledge & Sons, London - First Edition
A near fine early edition of this Girl’s annual, which was published between 1878 and 1886. Wonderfully illustrated throughout, in colour and monochrome, by some of the best Children’s illustrators of the time including Kate Greenaway who provides the colour title page and frontispiece. Over 500 pages of stories, poetry, puzzles, music, proverbs, history, and useful pieces on ‘what girl’s can do’ such as etching, needlework, and cookery.
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Price HK$ 1,100
The Call of the Wild -
Jack London
1903 - The Macmillan Company, New York - First Edition, First Issue
‘Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and . . . he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire, and to plunge into the forest’
A fresh first edition of Jack London's best and most enduring work, with little of the usual rubbing to the boards. Illustrated with eleven full page colour plates, including frontispiece with tissue-guard, five in-text colour illustrations, and numerous full page and in-text single tint decorations and illustrations, by Philip R. Goodwin and Charles Livingston Bull, decorations by Charles E. Hooper.
‘What projects The Call of the Wild towards immortality is London's urgent and vivid style, and his astonishing identification with the world he's describing’ - The Guardian Newspaper (2014), 100 best novels.
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Price HK$ 19,600
1903 - The Macmillan Company, New York - First Edition, First Issue
‘Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and . . . he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire, and to plunge into the forest’A fresh first edition of Jack London's best and most enduring work, with little of the usual rubbing to the boards. Illustrated with eleven full page colour plates, including frontispiece with tissue-guard, five in-text colour illustrations, and numerous full page and in-text single tint decorations and illustrations, by Philip R. Goodwin and Charles Livingston Bull, decorations by Charles E. Hooper.
‘What projects The Call of the Wild towards immortality is London's urgent and vivid style, and his astonishing identification with the world he's describing’ - The Guardian Newspaper (2014), 100 best novels.
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Price HK$ 19,600
The Pooh Books - When We Were Very Young; Winnie the Pooh; Now We Are Six; and The House at Pooh Corner -
A. A. Milne, Ernest H. Shepard (illustrator)
1924 - 1928 - Methuen & Co. Ltd., London - First Editions
'Pooh looked at his two paws. He knew that one of them was the right, and he knew that when you had decided which one of them was the right, then the other one was the left, but he never could remember how to begin.'
A lovely set of the Pooh books, finely bound to match their respective original published colours, and housed in custom made felt-lined slipcase.
‘I often wish I were a King, And then I could do anything.
If only I were King of Spain, I’d take my hat off in the rain.
If I were King of Norroway, I’d ask an elephant to stay.
If I were King of Timbuctoo, I’d think of lovely things to do.’
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Price HK$ 38,000
1924 - 1928 - Methuen & Co. Ltd., London - First Editions
'Pooh looked at his two paws. He knew that one of them was the right, and he knew that when you had decided which one of them was the right, then the other one was the left, but he never could remember how to begin.'A lovely set of the Pooh books, finely bound to match their respective original published colours, and housed in custom made felt-lined slipcase.
‘I often wish I were a King, And then I could do anything.
If only I were King of Spain, I’d take my hat off in the rain.
If I were King of Norroway, I’d ask an elephant to stay.
If I were King of Timbuctoo, I’d think of lovely things to do.’
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Price HK$ 38,000
Five Children And It -
E. Nesbit
1902 - T. Fisher Unwin, London - First Edition
A fine first edition of this magical tale bound by Bayntun-Riviere of Bath, illustrated by H. R. Millar with forty-six black and white plates – Cyril, Athena, Robert, Jane, and baby brother, Lamb, are exploring the land around the house their parents have rented for the summer when they find the sandpit. They decide to dig a hole straight through to Australia. Their plan is interrupted when Athena discovers a magical creature hiding in the sand. It is a Psammead, and it can grant wishes.
‘The children stood around the hole looking at the creature they had found. It was worth looking at. Its eyes were on long horns like a snail's eyes, and it could move them in and out like telescopes; it had ears like a bat's ears, and its tubby body was shaped like a spider's and covered with thick soft fur; its legs and arms were furry too, and it had hands and feet like a monkey's.’
Psammead: I am a Sand Fairy!
Jane: A Sand Fairy? I thought fairies had little ballet dresses and wings and wands.
Psammead: What on earth have you been reading?
Jane: I'll call you Sandy.
Psammead: Why?
Jane: Because we found you in the sand.
Psammead: You're so funny. Have your parents tried boiling you?
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Price HK$ 12,500
1902 - T. Fisher Unwin, London - First Edition
A fine first edition of this magical tale bound by Bayntun-Riviere of Bath, illustrated by H. R. Millar with forty-six black and white plates – Cyril, Athena, Robert, Jane, and baby brother, Lamb, are exploring the land around the house their parents have rented for the summer when they find the sandpit. They decide to dig a hole straight through to Australia. Their plan is interrupted when Athena discovers a magical creature hiding in the sand. It is a Psammead, and it can grant wishes.‘The children stood around the hole looking at the creature they had found. It was worth looking at. Its eyes were on long horns like a snail's eyes, and it could move them in and out like telescopes; it had ears like a bat's ears, and its tubby body was shaped like a spider's and covered with thick soft fur; its legs and arms were furry too, and it had hands and feet like a monkey's.’
Psammead: I am a Sand Fairy!
Jane: A Sand Fairy? I thought fairies had little ballet dresses and wings and wands.
Psammead: What on earth have you been reading?
Jane: I'll call you Sandy.
Psammead: Why?
Jane: Because we found you in the sand.
Psammead: You're so funny. Have your parents tried boiling you?
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Price HK$ 12,500
The Railway Children -
Edith Nesbit, C. E. Brock (illustrator)
1906 - Wells Gardner, London - First Edition
‘I think everyone in the world is friends if you can only get them to see you don't want to be un-friends.’
The first edition, scarce in such fabulous condition, of Nesbit’s most loved children’s story, the basis for the wonderful 1970 Lionel Jeffries film, and Simon Nye’s 2000 television adaptation (both featuring Jenny Agutter, firstly as Bobby and then as the children’s mother). Illustrated by Charles Brock with twenty black and white plates and illustrated title page.
‘When Father is taken away unexpectedly, Roberta, Peter, Phyllis and their mother have to leave their comfortable life in London to go and live in a small cottage in the country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, and make friends with Perks the Porter and the Station Master himself. Each day, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis run down the field to the railway track and wave at the passing London train, sending their love to Father. Little do they know that the kindly old gentleman passenger who waves back holds the key to their father's disappearance.’
'Her writing is so light and unforced, her humour so sure and her narrative quality so strong . . . she has given me the most complete satisfaction' – Noël Coward.
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Price HK$ 11,000
1906 - Wells Gardner, London - First Edition
‘I think everyone in the world is friends if you can only get them to see you don't want to be un-friends.’The first edition, scarce in such fabulous condition, of Nesbit’s most loved children’s story, the basis for the wonderful 1970 Lionel Jeffries film, and Simon Nye’s 2000 television adaptation (both featuring Jenny Agutter, firstly as Bobby and then as the children’s mother). Illustrated by Charles Brock with twenty black and white plates and illustrated title page.
‘When Father is taken away unexpectedly, Roberta, Peter, Phyllis and their mother have to leave their comfortable life in London to go and live in a small cottage in the country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, and make friends with Perks the Porter and the Station Master himself. Each day, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis run down the field to the railway track and wave at the passing London train, sending their love to Father. Little do they know that the kindly old gentleman passenger who waves back holds the key to their father's disappearance.’
'Her writing is so light and unforced, her humour so sure and her narrative quality so strong . . . she has given me the most complete satisfaction' – Noël Coward.
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Price HK$ 11,000
The Story of the Treasure Seekers. Being the Adventures of the Bastable Children in Search of a Fortune. -
Edith Nesbit, Gordon Brown and Lewis Baumer (illustrators)
1899 - T. Fisher Unwin, London - First Edition
A lovely unrestored and unfoxed first edition of Edith Nesbit’s first book. Illustrated with seventeen full page black and white plates.
When their father's business fails, the six Bastable children decide to restore the family fortunes. But although they think of many ingenious ways to do so, their well meant efforts are either more fun than profitable, or lead to trouble...
The messages intertwined amongst the various adventures make this a book that adults may actually find more entertaining than they expected, especially if read previously as a child.
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Price HK$ 4,000
1899 - T. Fisher Unwin, London - First Edition
A lovely unrestored and unfoxed first edition of Edith Nesbit’s first book. Illustrated with seventeen full page black and white plates.When their father's business fails, the six Bastable children decide to restore the family fortunes. But although they think of many ingenious ways to do so, their well meant efforts are either more fun than profitable, or lead to trouble...
The messages intertwined amongst the various adventures make this a book that adults may actually find more entertaining than they expected, especially if read previously as a child.
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Price HK$ 4,000
Hansel and Gretel -
Kay Nielsen (illustrator), Brothers Grimm
1925 - Hodder and Stoughton, London - Number 70 of 600 limited copies, signed by the artist
‘Once upon a time there dwelt near a large wood a poor woodcutter with his wife and two children by his former marriage, a little boy named Hansel, and a girl named Gretel.’
A superb example of this large, limited edition of Grimm fairy tales, illustrated with twelve stunning mounted colour plates and numerous black and white drawings by Kay Nielsen, and signed by the artist on the limitation page, accompanied by the publisher’s somewhat worn slipcase.
Together with ‘Hansel and Gretel’, this marvellous collection also includes the stories ‘The Six Swans’, ‘The Fisherman and His Wife’, ‘Snowdrop’, ‘Clever Alice’, ‘The Valiant Little Tailor’, ‘Rapunzel’, ‘The Three Magic Gifts’, ‘The Golden Goose’, and ‘Rumpelstiltskin’, among others.
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Price HK$ 35,000
1925 - Hodder and Stoughton, London - Number 70 of 600 limited copies, signed by the artist
‘Once upon a time there dwelt near a large wood a poor woodcutter with his wife and two children by his former marriage, a little boy named Hansel, and a girl named Gretel.’A superb example of this large, limited edition of Grimm fairy tales, illustrated with twelve stunning mounted colour plates and numerous black and white drawings by Kay Nielsen, and signed by the artist on the limitation page, accompanied by the publisher’s somewhat worn slipcase.
Together with ‘Hansel and Gretel’, this marvellous collection also includes the stories ‘The Six Swans’, ‘The Fisherman and His Wife’, ‘Snowdrop’, ‘Clever Alice’, ‘The Valiant Little Tailor’, ‘Rapunzel’, ‘The Three Magic Gifts’, ‘The Golden Goose’, and ‘Rumpelstiltskin’, among others.
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Price HK$ 35,000
The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table -
Alfred W. Pollard, Arthur Rackham (illustrator)
1917 - Macmillan and Co., London - First Edition with Rackham’s illustrations
‘The story of King Arthur and his Knights is one of the greatest that men have ever made...’
An exemplary copy of this celebrated collection of Arthurian legends, wonderfully embellished with Arthur Rackham’s dramatic illustrations, with 16 full page colour plates, including frontispiece, each one with descriptive tissue guards, together with several other full page and in-text black and white illustrations throughout.
Abridged from Malory’s Morte D’Arthur by Alfred W. Pollard.
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Price HK$ 5,500
1917 - Macmillan and Co., London - First Edition with Rackham’s illustrations
‘The story of King Arthur and his Knights is one of the greatest that men have ever made...’An exemplary copy of this celebrated collection of Arthurian legends, wonderfully embellished with Arthur Rackham’s dramatic illustrations, with 16 full page colour plates, including frontispiece, each one with descriptive tissue guards, together with several other full page and in-text black and white illustrations throughout.
Abridged from Malory’s Morte D’Arthur by Alfred W. Pollard.
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Price HK$ 5,500