Alphabet books are much loved by children, and so there have
been many of them published over the years. Happily they pro-
vide a stimulating challenge to artists and authors. This reprint,
from 1908, features dog breeds. The poodle, greyhound and
collie are familiar friends, but a few breeds, such as the harrier
and the lurcher, show that even dogs change with time’s pas-
sage. the rhymes that accompany each letter are delightful and
informative, for example:

N is for the Newfoundland
Who springs in the wave
And strives to his utmost
The drowning to save..

Other passages are more moralistic, as was common in chil-
dren’s books of this era:

Q stands for the Quarrel,
It’s most sad to see
Both Puppies and Children
Who cannot agree.

Some of the dogs herein are less pampered than their more
modern counterparts:

E stands for the dogs of the Eskimo
Who draws laden sleds for miles over snow.

Charming pictures of dogs leaping, swim-
ming, playing and doing all manner of ca-
nine things take us from a to Z in this delight-
ful alphabet book.

This old Mother Goose rhyme (which is here in its authentic version) is, as many of these poems are, curiously evocative and unforgettable. It tells the simple story of kittens who lose their mittens, and momentarily their mother’s approval, but find their mittens and achieve a happy resolution. Milo Winter, an insufficiently praised artist, provides the fine illustrations. He is the illustrator for one of our other shaped books, the very popular Three Little Pigs.

An addition to our very successful series of shaped children’s books, reprinted from antique editions.

Puss-In-Boots, a persistently recurring folk story given perfect form by Charles Perrault, tells the tale of a clever cat who leads his human to fame and fortune. It is delightfully illustrated here by C.H. Lawrence, a lesser known but masterful illustrator, who gives the tale of pluck and tenacity the liveliness it demands.

The shaped children’s book has been popular since its invention in the early-20th century. Breaking the bounds of the rectangle has timeless appeal, a fact that we don’t fully understand but will happily exploit. We shall continue to choose gems for reproduction from our large collection of ball, cat, dog, bird, etc. shaped books as long as our customers demand that we do so.

This is a reprint of a small set of three books originally published in the 1930s. Each of them tells the story of that bear’s particular place in the family.

Baby Bear came to live with Father Bear and Mother Bear when he was just one minute old. Mother Bear wanted a little Baby Bear with brown eyes and little pink heels. Father Bear had a garden, too. He planted turnips for Mother Bear, spinach and little red beets for Baby Bear, and corn and cabbage for himself.

These bears are an inseparable family, sold only in sets and packaged in a plastic envelope. The text invites the reader to color a few of the illustrations that are black and white, most are in full-color already.

This is an old English folktale, and like many folktales, it contrasts good and evil, and stresses the perils of existence and the need for intelligence and ingenuity as tools of survival. The wily wolf outwits two of the pig brothers, but the third brother triumphs through his cleverness and hard work in this shaped children’s book

The illustrations for this version are by the American illustrator Milo Winter. Winter was a prolific and extremely skilled illustrator who has not received, in our opinion, the critical and historical recognition he deserves, because he worked for unrecognized publishers who issued inexpensive editions. Winter’s dressed animals are uniquely winning and thoroughly convincing.

Another in our popular series of shaped books telling the still pertinent story of two ways of life.

Good stories never lose their power. Aesop, an ancient Greek, first wrote this tale of a country mouse who samples the life of her city cousin, and finds the simple peace of the country far preferable.

Ethel Hayes, the illustrator, has changed the cousins from male to female so that she can indulge her talent for rendering beautifully dressed mouse ladies. Even the country mouse’s Sunday best is outshone by the city mouse’s complex and fashionable wardrobe.

This die-cut shaped children’s book is a thoroughly charming introduction to the Mother Goose rhymes. This facsimile of a 1917 edition is great to give or read to a young child. Another in our popular series of shaped books.

Margaret Evans Price has a great appeal to young readers. Her illustrations are just right, and her brief selection of rhymes is judicious. Some of the rhymes included are: Little Bo-Peep, Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, Jack and Jill, Goosey Gander and Simple Simon.

This is our sixth reproduction of a shaped children’s book, and our fourth illustrated by Margaret Evans Price. Price has certainly proven popular with our customers, and for good reason. Her illustrations are pretty and fanciful. She is especially gifted at depicting children in a stylized yet not cartoonish manner. In The Betty Fairy Book (1915) a little girl – Betty – inadvertently angers the fairies by wearing a fairy crown that she finds and dancing “on fairy ground.” The fairies decide to banish her to a boat, on which Betty bravely faces several hardships. Betty’s courage endears her to the fairies, who relent and take Betty to fairyland where she is cared for and given gifts. Betty comes away from her adventure with fairy souvenirs and new friends. This charming tale is richly illustrated and will appeal to both children and sentimental adults.

“The Cats’ Pajamas” is another title from Frances Brundage, the illustrator of our popular shaped-book “The Three Bears”. “The Cats’ Pajamas” is a truly delightful tale of a fashion-conscious cat and her two kittens. After receiving brand-new stylish pajamas, the small kittens promptly ruin them with reckless play but, as they discover, a mother’s love surpasses even beautiful pajamas.

This would make a wonderful gift for new parents building their classics collection or an avid young reader. The Cats’ Pajamas is die-cut around the cover image, an additional title in our shaped book series.