1.  ANDERSEN, HANS CHRISTIAN. [TRANS CHARLES BONER].: Tales from Denmark...Translated by Charles Boner. With Fifty Illustrations by Count Pocci. London, Grant & Griffith [and Charles Cundall], 1848. 2 parts in one volume, square 8vo,  pp vii, [1], [168], 174, with 8 lithographed plates with cream tinted backgrounds, numerous text wood-engravings, bound in contemporary half red calf spine with black label decorated in gilt, rubbed, spine leather restored to top portion, light foxing to plates, minor faults only, a clean sound copy, neatly restored to binding, FIRST COLLECTIVE EDITION, SECOND ISSUE. Joseph Cundell published on of the first Andersen collections in English, as translated by Charles Boner, in 1846, with this enlarged edition comprising 21 stories the following year. He was, perhaps, obliged to sellout to Grant & Griffith for this second issue. though his name still appears, if smaller, in the imprint, showing he still had a financial interest in this title. The original binding was usually of pictorial glazed boards, but this half leather one may well have been a publisher's option, given the poor durability of boards; the spine decoration and labeling does, indeed, suggest this was not a 'one off' for a customer but a binding issue. This copy was, according to the label at the front, no 338 in the library of stockbroker Edward Ash Ball [1853-1927] who lived at Egg Hall, Epping; we may surmise it was his childhood book. £120.00  

2.  ANON: May Day; or, Anecdotes of Lydia Lively. Intended to Improve and Amuse the Rising Generation. By the Author of La Bagatelle. London: Printed, by Assignment of John Marshall, for Darton, Harvey, and Darton, 1816. 12mo, pp 138, [6, Darton adverts], engraved frontispiece. original green roan backed boards, rubbed and a bit worn at corners, title page torn and laid down without loss, upper board creased and reinforced internally, still a good copy, FIRST DARTON EDITION THUS, evidently a popular story of the period, taken from a Marshall work of the later 18th Century, not by Mrs Trimmer though she is recommended in the text. In fact a rather charming conduct story about a girl called Lydia and which first appeared in this form, later to be reprinted several times. £60.00 

3.  BIGLAND, JOHN.: The Philosophical Wanderers; or, the History of the Roman tribune and the priestess of Minerva. London, Longmans, 1811. 12mo, pp xii, 286, [2, adverts], neatly bound in contemporary half red morocco, spine gilt decorated, marbled sides and endpapers, light foxing beginning and end, but a very good pleasing copy, FIRST EDITION; this novel, like Bigland's several other works, had a specifically educational purpose, as befits a teacher turned author. It is not for the faint-hearted, however, the journeys of Claudius and Juliana, inhabitants of a mythical ancient world, in search of her lost father [he eventually turns up in Constantinople], on the way encountering the philosophical and political diversity of several cities and systems. Bigland's style of presentation is prolix in the extreme, and the book, clearly not a best seller, is quite scarce. £85.00  

4. BOYLE, ELEANOR VERE.: Child's Play. Seventeen Drawings by E.V.B. London, Addey & Co, [1852] 4to,, printed title page, pictorial title and 16 plates with letterpress text incorporated, by E. V Boyle, bound in slightly later half blue calf, spine gilt with raised bands and red label, rubbed and faded to spine with short splits to joints but internally with minor spotting only, generally a very clean copy, FIRST EDITION, original black and white version of EVB's first book, a collection of illustrated nursery rhymes. Comparison with the later colour wood-engraved Sampson Low edition of 1859 [see Alderson 'The Treasures of Childhood' p.77] reveals just how much more of EVB's detailed penwork is preserved in the original edition printed by the short lived anastatic process. £150.00

5.  BUSCH, WILHELM.: A Bushel of Merry-Thoughts by Wilhelm Busch described and ornamented by Harry Rogers. London, Sampson Low and son, and Marston, Milton House, 1868. Oblong long 8vo, pp [4], foliated 14, 16 , 16, 16, wood-engraved illustrations throughout with text beneath printed on rectos only, the four stories with separate title pages as well a general title page and contents leaf, HAND-COLOURED THROUGHOUT, bound in original cloth backed polychrome pictorial boards, a little paper chipping to the edges but without loss of either text or image, spine rubbed and corners a bit worn, inner joint cracked, the pages remarkably clean throughout with just the occasional small spot or stain, a good copy for this type of publication, FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH, made up of the four separate stories in parts. This was an early introduction of Busch's classic style of story telling to an English child audience, and is a desirable title in this hand-coloured form. A surprisingly clean copy of this most attractive picture book for children. There was no plate 13 issued for story two 'The Cat and the Mouse', the frontispiece perhaps intended to substitute. £150.00  

CHAPBOOK.: The Courtship, Merry Marriage, and Pic-Nic Dinner of Cock Robin and Jenny Wren: to which is added, the doleful death of the bridegroom. London, Grant and Griffith, circa 1835. 18mo, pp 18 printed on rectos only comprising hand-coloured frontispiece, title page and 17 half page hand-coloured illustrations, verse text beneath, original printed cream wrappers, sewn as issued, the spine a little worn, the upper wrapper dust soiled to lower portion, light soiling only internally, long early inscription on first blank but in the main quite clean and bright to text, EARLY EDITION; this title was, of course, a front runner in John Harris's stable of chapbook publications. He had published an earlier version in about 1805 in the small square format popular at that time, but by 1820 the plates had worn out, and this new version came into being, printed several times, this copy issued by Harris's successor Grant and Griffith. Interestingly Harris's name is retained on the front wrapper. The plates show no signs of aging, and this is a decent copy, apart from the external soiling. £135.00  

7.  CHAPBOOK.: The History of the House that Jack Built. A Diverting History. London, Grant and Griffith, circa 1835. 18mo, comprising 18 leaves printed on rectos only, including a title page with hand-coloured vignette, 16 leaves of half page hand coloured illustrations with text beneath, advert leaf at the end list 36 one shilling chapbooks, and four titles in the Little Library of Fiction series, original printed fawn wrappers, neatly respined and with a few small blank marginal repairs internally, early child ownership inscriptions on upper wrapper and first blank, minor soiling only, a good bright copy generally, EARLY EDITION; as Opies tell us in ODNR this famous rhyme first appeared in Newbery's Nurse Truelove in 1755 , with this 'extended version' first printed by Harris, and according to Moon in this present format, in circa 1820. This later printing of the same edition carries the imprint of Grant and Griffith as 'successors to J Harris' and dates from about 1835, and like the earlier Harris issue, was printed by Bentley. A very attractive early hand-coloured version in reasonably clean sound condition for a chapbook of the period with just a few small repairs. . £150.00  

8.  COTTON, NATHANIEL.: Visions in Verse for the Entertainment and Instruction of Younger Minds. London, Joseph Wenman, 1781. Small 12mo, pp 79, [3, adverts], engraved frontispiece by Golder, bound in contemporary sheep, spine gilt ruled with red label, light cracks to joints, minor stains, a good copy, NEW EDITION, a very small format and particularly rare edition of this popular volume of verse for children - ESTC records the BL, Reading and Sheffield copies only. £45.00  

9.  CROKER, JOHN WILSON.: Stories selected from the History of England, from the Conquest to the Revolution. For children. London, John Murray, 1817. 12mo, pp [4], 186, complete with half title, original green roan-backed marbled boards, rubbed. spine faded and chipped at ends, gatherings shaken but sound, a good copy, NEW EDITION; Croker was, perhaps, unfamiliar with writing for children and states 'whenever I may accidentally have deviated from the mere nursery style, I am sure I have gone astray...' an interesting comment in the light of the huge growth of such 'nursery' literate, both instructive of entertaining [or both] at the period. Croker himself is both dismissive of fairy tales [disgust young taste] and justifies taking history to the [Glorious] Revolution as later history 'too important to be trifled with.' His work went through many editions, however, early examples are very rare. This is probably the second printing; none earlier are recorded. £60.00  

10.  CROWQUILL, ALFRED.: The Tutor's Assistant, or Comic Figures of Arithmetic; slightly altered and elucidated from a Walking Game. London, J & F Harwood, 1843. 8vo, pp xiv, [2], 128, text within rustic borders, wood engraved frontispiece and wood engravings in text throughout initialed 'PC' i.e. Percy Cruikshank, contemporary full calf, spine gilt with raised bands and black label, upper joint broken and repaired with small abrasions to spine, but a sound copy, internally fine, FIRST EDITION; a very valiant attempt to make mathematics amusing, or perhaps simply a humorous skit on Walkingame's popular mathematical textbook of the period, enlivened throughout by Percy Cruikshank's drawings. £55.00  

11.  FOUQUE, F. DE LA MOTTE.: Undine. A Tale...translated by Edmund Gosse with illustrations by F M Rudland. London, Lawrence and Bullen, 1897. 8vo, pp viii, 286, head and tailpieces as well full page line illustrations by Florence M Rudland, uncut in original pictorial cloth, gilt, minor rubbing and marking to the boards, but a very good bright clean copy, FIRST EDITION OF THIS TRANSLATION; the sudden interest in producing translations of Undine at this time defeats us, but this same publisher had brought out a similarly illustrated edition the year before and Macmillan another similarly illustrated edition in the same year as this one. In favour of Gosse's we may comment that he is, of course, a well-respected translator from the German, the illustrator from the Birmingham Art School group, a contributor to The Yellow Book and the famous 'Book of Pictured Carols.' She produced some excellent Pre-Raphaelite influenced work and was ' a talented illustrator whose output was regrettably meagre' [Peppin]. £25.00  

12.  GUTHRIE, STUART AND MARJORIE. [AUTHORS & PRINTERs].: An Elegy on the Death and Burial of Cock Robin. Chichester, Stuart Guthrie, 1932. 8vo, pp 27, [1], 18 woodcut illustrations by Stuart Guthrie, uncut in original paper backed boards with printed label to upper board, this with a small minor rub else ear fine, FIRST EDITION; rather a grown up joke for a children's book, described as Cock Robin Series No 2, a minor private press offering from the son of James Guthrie of Pear Tree Press fame. £35.00  

13.  HARRIS, JOHN JUN [EDITOR].: The Traveller; or, An Entertaining Journey Round the Habitable Globe.. London, J Harris and son, [insc 1824]. 12mo, pp viii, 204, 2 maps, 36 engraved world views on 18 plates, 4 plates of world costumes [including frontispiece], bound in original red roan backed printed fawn pictorial boards, a little rubbed and soiled but quite sound, slight offsetting from plates but a very good clean copy, SECOND EDITION; this charming early geography for children went through several editions, first issued in coloured form in 1820. Moon quotes the Gentleman's Magazine review at length '...such a mass of pleasant and useful information...our best thanks to the young Editor, who is, we understand, the young son of the publisher...' . £75.00  

14.  HOFLAND, BARBARA.: Decision. A Tale. London, Longman etc, 1824. Small 12mo, pp [2], 272, engraved frontispiece, bound without half title [if required] in contemporary half maroon roan morocco, spine gilt ruled and decorated, marbled sides, minor rubbing only, a fine copy, FIRST EDITION; this would become one of the most popular of Hofland's short novels for the young, entertaining enough to counter the evident moral tone of most of her writings. An unusually fine copy. £85.00  

15.  HOFLAND, BARBARA.: Farewell Tales. London, A K Newman, 1840. 12mo, pp [4], iii, [4], 8-262, [2, plus an inserted advert leaf], extra engraved title page with frontispiece facing, bound in original pressed decorative roan, gilt and blind to the spine, blind to the boards, spine a little rubbed and faded, light foxing to frontis and a small corner fruit stain to a couple of leaves, else in very good state, FIRST EDITION; as the title would suggest this collection of stories for girls is from the end of Hofland's long career as a children's writer; she would live another four years, concentrating on more adult themes in her three decker novels, this volume described in her dedication as 'the last volume of tales I shall write.' Although republished several times, both sides of the Atlantic, and in illustrated editions, this first printing, in rather pleasing decorative roan binding, is scarce. £45.00  

16.  HUGHES [NEE ROBSON], MRS MARY.: The Alchemist. A Tale for Children. London, William Darton, 1818. Small 12mo, pp 206, with 10 pages of adverts at end, engraved frontispiece, original red roan backed boards with price 2/6 to spine, spine damaged and repaired in several places, edges worn, but a good clean tight copy overall, FIRST EDITION; in the year of publication Mary Hughes and her husband moved from England to Philadelphia to open a school, finding on arrival that her reputation as a popular writer for children had preceded them. The somewhat sensationalist titles of her two novels for young adults of that same year - 'Metamorphosis' and 'The Alchemist' - happened to coincide with the publication of Frankenstein, but there is nothing of the Gothic in these tales of young girls growing up learning moral sensibilities through experience. Hughes' writing would gradually drift into the conventional Christian teaching of the age, but these early novels are the most interesting of her works today.  £75.00  

17.  LAMB, MARY AND CHARLES.: Mrs Leicester's School: or the History of Several Young Ladies Related by Themselves. London, J Godwin, 1809. 12mo, pp [4], viii, 179, [5, ADVERTS], engraved frontispiece, bound in neat morocco backed marbled boards, the text lightly browned and with sporadic brown spotting, mainly marginal but occasionally into text. still a sound copy, FIRST EDITION, one of the great classics of children's literature in the 19th Century, comprising 10 stories of which 3 are by Charles, the rest by Mary, representing her major contribution to children's literature. Godwin's paper quality was not great and copies are often found with a certain degree of brown foxing, although the status of the book later in the century made it viable to wash copies and put them into showy bindings for the larger London booksellers. This copy has a rather humble modern morocco backed binding which appears to preserve at least part of the printed label of the original binding on the spine, but at least it preserves its two pages of adverts [including several Lamb publications, though mentioning Charles not Mary, and with the present title, of course, anonymous] at the end. Subsequent editions, of which there were many, are quite common; this first printing is not. £250.00  

18.  LONDON.: London: A Descriptive Poem. Illustrated with Engravings. London, William Darton jun., 1811 . Small square 12mo, pp 28, [4, adverts], 8 engraved plates of views, bound in ?original flush marbled wrappers, rubbed and worn, text lightly browned and soiled, a reasonable complete copy, FIRST EDITION CORRECTED'; the Osborne copy is a second edition, and also cropped close to the plates, as here. Though not the best of copies the poem is very rare in first edition in any condition. £85.00

19.  NEWBERY, JOHN [PUBLISHER].: An Account of the Constitution and Present State of Great Britain, together with a View of its Trade Policy and Interest. London, J Newbery, [1759]. Small 12mo, pp iv, 291, [1, adverts], engraved frontispiece and title page, 7 engraved plates, bound in contemporary sheep, spine with raised bands and red label, spines leather chipped and wormed with upper joint repaired, corners worn rear endpaper foxed, light foxing or soiling elsewhere but sound and tight throughout, FIRST EDITION, the first printing without Carnan's name in the imprint, an interesting children's educational text, giving a general overview of Great Britain 'its Trading Policy and Interest, respecting other Nations' as well as the 'principal curiosities'. £120.00  

20.  NOVEL. SANDHAM, ELIZABETH.: The Red Book and the Black One. By the Author of Summer Rambles. London, E Lloyd, 1802. 2 volumes, 12mo, pp [2], 127, [1]: [2], 152, bound in contemporary tree calf, neatly rebacked, spine gilt ruled with double red labels, light soiling and stains, small corner torn from title page of second volume, but a sound copy, nicely restored, FIRST EDITION; though not mentioned or shown in the online copy in the BL this title was issued, some copies at least, with a frontispiece in volume one, though absent here. The book label of the publisher and seller E Lloyd is however present. Despite the caveat a scarce novel for older children concerning two books - red and black - which hold the secrets of two families and an early example of the mystery or Gothic novel for juvenile consumption. [Not in Summers, who lists other Sandham titles]. £95.00  

21.  PERRAULT -. DE BEAUMONT, EDUARD DE [ILLUSTRATOR].: La Barbe Bleue [BOUND WITH :La Belle au Bois Dormant]. [Colophon: Asnières-sur-Seine, Boussod Valadon et Cie., 1887] Large folio, 2 parts in one volume [as issued], 42 heavy stub-mounted leaves printed on rectos only, except for the final colophon each one with text and etched colour illustrations reproducing water-colours by Eduard de Beaumont, well bound in contemporary half dark blue heavy grained morocco, spine gilt with fleur de lis decoration and raised bands, quite rubbed to joints and corners but all very sound, marbled paper infill sides and matching endpapers, all edges gilt, internally fine and clean throughout, FIRST EDITION, This magnificent and grandiose version of two of Perrauld's famous fairy tales was the second of two such collections published based upon the delicate watercolour art of Eduard de Beaumont. 38 examples of his work are reproduced here by the finest technique of colour printing then known in France. This was by no means a book for every child's bookshelf, indeed it is one of the largest fairy tale books of its period - and its original audience was more likely than not an adult one. £150.00  

22.  PERRAULT, CHARLES.: Cinderella or the Little Glass Slipper. With Thirteen Illustrations by M.J.R. London, Addey and co, 1852. 40, pp [32], text within coloured rustic border, hand coloured illustrations in text throughout, original lilac boards lettered in gilt, sometime neatly rebacked, a little worn and marked, internally with general light foxing throughout else good, FIRST EDITION; the illustrator is not identified form the initials but this is a very competent and attractive effort, the illustrations integrated into the page layout with skill. Addey's former partner Cundall was made bankrupt in the same year as this publication, hence Addey's name alone on the title, but as McLean points out it is not unlikely that Cundall had a hand in titles then in process of production. A scarce title, desirable despite the foxing. £125.00  

23.  PILKINGTON, MARY.: Obedience Rewarded, and Prejudice Conquered; or, the history of Mortimer Lascells. Written for the instruction and amusement of young people. By Mrs. Pilkington. Printed for Vernor & Hood, and E. Newbery, 1797. 12mo, pp [2], 206, engraved frontispiece, bound without adverts [cf Roscoe] in contemporary half red roan, marbled sides, spine gilt, rubbed and cracked at joints, front endpapers replaced, rear free endpaper lacking, occasional light soiling to title page and text, else a good tight copy, FIRST EDITION; Pilkington made a notable contribution to the juvenile novel of the late 18th Century. According DNB this was her first book for children, the manuscript offered to Elizabeth Newbery with many titles following in succeeding years. £125.00  

24.  REACH, ANGUS B.: The Comic Bradshaw or Bubbles from the Boiler. Illustrated by H G Hine. London, D Bogue, 1848. Square 12mo, pp 64, frontispiece and text wood-engravings throughout by Hine, bound in slightly later full green calf, gilt ruled to spine, gilt titled to upper board, a clean attractively bound copy FIRST EDITION; the Comic Bradshaw is an early classic of railway humour, and quite scarce. Though this copy is without the wrappers it remains a neatly bound book of considerable charm. . £85.00  

25.  RIDDLES. 'BY AN OLD FRIEND.': Mince Pies for Christmas: Consisting of Riddles, Charades, Rebuses, Transpositions and Queries; Intended to gratify the Mental Taste, and to exercise the Ingenuity of all Sensible Masters and Misses. By an Old friend. London, Tabart, 1805. 16mo, pp vi, 189, [3, adverts], engraved frontispiece [dated Dec 25th 1804], original red roan backed marbled boards, short crack to upper joint, rubbed and a little worn at corners, front free endpaper removed, minor soiling and spotting only, a sound tight copy, FIRST EDITION. See Osborne, Vol 1, p223 [same edition] for an interesting description of this rare early riddle title, mentioning an early review in which Mrs Trimmer took exception to the light hearted nature of books which 'profane the Scriptures' and 'treat majesty with indignity.' £120.00  

26.  ROSABELL, ELIZABETH. [PSUED: MRS HENRY DE LA PASTURE].: The Unlucky Family. A Book for Children. London, Smith Elder and co, 1907. 8vo, pp xii, 328, [4, adverts], frontispiece and text illustrations by E T Reed, bound in original pale blue cloth, gilt ruled and decorated to upper board, minor evidence of use only, a fine bright copy throughout, FIRST EDITION; this humorous collection of stories of family tribulations was popular in the Edwardian era and to some extent afterwards gained a a certain classic status - at least this was the view of Auberon Waugh when the title was reprinted by the Folio Society in the 1980's. South London period humour of the Edwardian period may not be in fashion right now, but this is a most attractive copy. £35.00

27.  SMITH, GEORGE. [ATTRIBUTED].: The Gentleman Angler. Containing brief and plain instructions by which the young beginner may in a short time become a perfect artist in angling for all Kinds of Fish. With several observations on Angle Rods, and artificial flies:... London, G Kearsley, 1786. 24mo, pp vii, [1],122,[2, adverts], frontispiece [dated 1786], bound in original quarter red roan over marbled boards, the sides heavily rubbed and the lower corners worn, spine rubbed but sound, both free marbled endpapers removed, front paste-down with label of Pollard of Truro, Plymouth and Penzance, minor soiling only, internally sound, FIRST EDITION THUS, based on earlier printings of The Gentleman Angler which first appeared in 1726 and is attributed to one George Smith. This appears to b ea plagiarized version, issued by Kearsley with the child market in mind [though the frontispiece depicts a gentleman and a lady with no child], certainly in the small format of a child's book and with 'young beginner' specified in the title. Stated authorship on the title 'By a gentleman who has made it his diversion upwards of fourteen years.' This was given as twenty eight years in the 1726 version so the author appears to have been getting younger as the title got older. ESTC suggests 3 copies in the Houghton Library [quite enough for any library one might think] plus 2 other US locations, 3 copies UK. £175.00  

28.  STUBBES, AMELIA.: Family Tales for Children. London, William Darton and son, [1824]. Small 12mo, pp 108, engraved frontispiece and 2 plates, original red roan backed marbled boards, spine gilt, a little rubbed and worn at corners, small repair to inner joint, but a pretty copy nonetheless, FIRST EDITION; a series of four short stories; in this issue, unlike the Osborne copy [955] the plates are not dated and Darton's advert card is not present at the end; comparison with the Bodleian copy, also undated, indicates a different issue, ours perhaps the earlier. This title would seem to be the author's sole publication. £65.00  

29.  TOM THUMB PICTURE BOOK [ANON].: The Babes in the Wooden Wood. London, Henry Frowde, [1909]. Oblong small 12mo, pp [28] . pictures with verse throughout printed in red green and black, original boards with pictorial only, a little surface rubbed at corners and spine ends, but a good clean example, FIRST EDITION, the adventures of a white and a black doll told with all due innocence and naiveté. £25.00  

 30. WARNE AND CO. KRONHEIM.: Warne's Picture Puzzle Album comprising The Doll and her Dresses. Our Kings and Queens. The Book of Trades. The Horse. With Twenty-four Pages of Illustrations. London, Warne and co, [1873]. 4to, pp [10], followed by 4 sets of 6 full-page colour illustrations comprised of neatly mounted cutouts stuck down to a chromolithograph outline plate, with four index leaves and 4 fly titles, original textured maroon cloth, gilt lettered to spine and upper board, spine a little rubbed and faded, minor spots and stains and occasional fault where perhaps a tiny piece has fallen off, but in generally very good state throughout, FIRST EDITION, this attractive game/picture book was the second in the series and perhaps the last. It involved a child given sheets of coloured figures to cut out and mount in appropriate spaces within the pictures. These sheets were originally held inside the back cover. As with most extant copies, as instructed, they have been cut out and mounted, in this case very neatly and with pleasing effect. The original owner named Minnie was given the book by her papa in 1873. and she looked after it well, keeping it very clean indeed. A charming relic of the Victorian nursery. £145.00