The A B C in verse, for young learners
New York: Kiggins & Kellogg, [before 1856]. 32mo (approx. 4¼"x 2¾"), pp. 16; wrappers wanting; 2 alphabets (small letters and capital letters), 13 wood engravings; very good. More
Juveniles
Arctic voyages; being an account of discoveries in the North Polar Seas, in 1818, 1819, & 1820. With an account of the Esquimaux people. Compiled from the most authentic sources
London: printed for C. J. G. & F. Rivington, 1831. 12mo, pp. [5], iv, 5-172; 3 woodcut plates and vignette title page; original black roan-backed marbled-paper boards; bound by F. Remnant, Paternoster Row; gilt lettering on spine; marbled paper faded; hinges worn; old shelf sticker on spine; very good. The..... More
The blackbird's nest: a tale
Philadelphia: Johnson & Warner, 1812. 16mo, pp. 36; engraved title page, illustrations throughout; original stiff tan pictorial wrappers depicting on man on his horse, a shepherd tending his sheep in the background; fine. Shaw & Shoemaker 24883; Welch 104.1. More
With an early baseball illustration
Bound volume of twelve (12) toy books
New Haven: Sidney Babcock, 1840. 12 titles in 1 miniature volume, 2⅞" x 1", all are 8 pages except the last, which is defective; all illustrated with woodcuts; publisher's straight-grained black morocco, spine gilt; upper cover neatly reattached; all bound without wrappers, some foxing, tears in the margins and minor..... More
The child's own Sunday book; or Sabbath day lessons for little children
New Haven: S. Babcock, ca. 1840s. Juvenile chapbook, 4¼ inches, pp. 16; engraved title page vignette, illustrations throughout; original blue pictorial wrappers, lacking bottom half of front wrapper, small tear on back wrapper affecting decorative border around publisher's advertisements; a few shallow tears to title page not affecting text. More
Early American children's books 1682-1840. The private collection of Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach. On exhibition at the New York Public Library
New York: New York Public Library, 1927. 12mo, pp. 15; 4 facsimiles; a very good copy in original brown printed wrappers. More
The good boy
Northampton, [Mass.]: A. R. Merrifield, 1842. 32mo, approx. 4¼" x 2½", pp. 10, [2]; self-wrappers; woodcut vignettes on the front wrapper and title page, 3 full-page wood-engravings; text a bit toned, else very good. There were several editions published by John Metzger in Northampton in the 1830s. The first Merrifield..... More
Twenty-six plates with exemplary hand-coloring
The happy courtship, merry marriage, and pic nic dinner of Cock Robin and Jenny Wren. To which is added, alas! The doleful death of the bridegroom
London: printed for J. Harris, corner of St. Paul’s, 1814. Small square 4to, pp. 16; engraved and hand-colored frontispiece and twenty-five hand-colored and engraved plates; original printed tan wrappers, light wear and soiling, expert restoration to the foot of the spine; generally a very good copy with extraordinary hand-coloring. Many..... More
Harry Hawkins's H book shewing how he learned to aspirate his H's
London: Griffith and Farran, 1857. First edition, 16mo, pp. [4], 26, [2]; wood-engraved frontispiece; original decorative green printed wrappers; some rubbing, and mildd staining on the lower cover; all else very good. Seven short instructional texts for children on the pronunciation of the letter H: "How high His Highness holds..... More
The hieroglyphick Bible; or select passages in the Old and New Testaments, represented with emblematical figures, for the amusement of youth ... illustrated with nearly five hundred cuts
Hartford: Silas Andrus, 1825. Fourth edition, 12mo, pp.129, [1]; lacking pages 9-10, 47-96, 125-128, and 130-[134] (page 130 being blank in this copy but with text on copies checked online); woodblock illustrations throughout text, many crudely hand colored; calf-backed paper-covered boards; spine partially perished, textblock split and pp. 37-38 loose;..... More
A hymn on creation
New York: printed and sold by Mahlon Day, at the new Juvenile Book-store, no. 376, Pearl-Street, stereotyped by James Conner, n.d., [ca. 1830]. 32mo (approx. 3¾" x 2¼"), pp. 16; 15 small woodcuts; original pictorial yellow wrappers, in drab outer wrappers; wrappers a little spotted, corners curled; all else very..... More
An illustrated and descriptive catalogue of school supplies
Boston: Edward E. Babb & Co., 1885. 8vo, pp. 72; original red printed wrappers; staple-bound; illustrated throughout; preliminary terminal leaves stained red from wrappers; all else very good. Includes engaging illustrations of classroom supplies along with prices and descriptions: desks, globes, wall maps, U.S. flags, etc. More
The infant's library. Book I
London: John Marshall, ca. 1808. Miniature book (51 x 45 mm.), pp. 63; woodcut illustrations; printed self wrappers (upper cover unevenly darkened); top edge closely trimmed occasionally affecting running title and page number, else very good and sound. The first of a series of 16 volumes, this consisting of an..... More
Lady Golightly, and her cousins, the Grasshoppers. Or, Make Hay While the Sun Shines
[London]: Dean & Co., Threadneedle St., n.d., [1853 or before]. First edition, 8vo, pp. [16]; self-wrappers and wrappers included in the pagination; 9 hand-colored wood engravings; original pictorial wrappers; spine skillfully renewed. Wrappers and text somewhat dust-soiled with a few tiny marginal chips; all else very good and sound. Inscription..... More
Lays of ancient babyland, to which are added divers small histories not known to the ancients, dedicated, with much respect, but without permission, to the babies of England
London: William Pickering, 1849. First edition, small, slim 8vo, pp. 111; engraved initials and head- and tail-pieces; title page printed in red and black; original red moire cloth (soiled) lettered in gilt on upper cover, unadorned spine, a.e.g., violet glazed endpapers; spine ends chipped, joints starting to crack, extremities rubbed;..... More
Little Miss prim
New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons, ca. 1880s. 16mo, unpaged; frontispiece, illustrations, many full-paged, throughout; original green decorative cloth stamped in black, color plate mounted to upper cover; edges a bit rubbed, front hinge cracked; contemporary gift inscription to front pastedown dated 1887; textblock very good and sound. More
A little present. This fine pretty present, A nice pleasing toy, Is made for a good girl, Or a brave little boy
New York: Baker, Crane & Day, 374 & 158 Pearl Street, n.d., [ca. 1846]. Measures slightly less than 3" tall and slightly less than 2" wide; pp. 8; without wrappers, likely as issued; 9 small woodcuts, 7 of them of quadrupeds, each with an epigram and an instructional alphabet. Perhaps..... More
The motor car
Dundee, London, and Montreal: Valentine & Sons, Ltd., n.d., ca. early 1900s. Shaped book, top and fore edges cut to follow outline of car on covers, approx. 5¾" x 3¾", pp. [24]; 12 illustrations (3 in black & white, 9 in color and 1 double-page); lightly rubbed; near fine. OCLC..... More
Naval heroes of America
Boston: G. W. Cottrell, [ca. late 1850s]. 32mo (approx. 3" x 2¾"), pp, x, [1], 12-191, [1]; 46 full-page wood engravings; near fine in original blindstamped green cloth, gilt lettering and decorations on spine. Includes at the back an account of the cruise of the Essex. More
The Osborne Collection of early children's books 1566-1910. A catalogue. Prepared ... by Judith St. John. With an introduction by Edgar Osborne.
Toronto: Public Library, [1975]. Reprint (and best) edition with additional corrections of vol. I; first edition of vol. II; 2 vols., 8vo, pp. xxiv, [2], 561, [1]; xii, [2], 563-1138; generally a fine set in green cloth-backed illustrated boards, gilt lettering directly on spine. More
Peter Piper's practical principles of plain & perfect pronunciation
Brooklyn: Mergenthaler Linotype Company, 1936. 8vo, pp. 99; 2-toned illustrations throughout; original yellow pictorial wrappers (light soiling at bottom right-hand corner of upper cover) printed in red, French flaps; edge wear with shallow tears along edges not affecting text, bottom half of spine cracked, head chipped, small loss to foot..... More
A picture book, for little children
Philadelphia: Kimber and Conrad, ca. 1812. Thin 24mo, pp. [24];engraved title page, woodcut illustrations; original stiff tan wrappers (minor soiling to back cover), a few short chips, last quire partially unopened; about fine. The illustrations are redrawn cuts with a similar design to The Wonderful Life and Adventures of Robinson..... More
The pious prince
London: Religious Tract Society, ca. 1860s. Bifolium, 16mo; illustration, p. [1] printed within green decorative borders; heavy spotting, else fine. "Little Messengers No. 2" printed at bottom of p. [1]. Religious tract concerning the piety of Josiah, the "Jewish prince" More
The polite preceptor; or, improving moralist. Consisting of a choice collection of relations, visions, allegories, and moral essays. Selected from the most eminent English authors. Compiled at the request of a noble lady, and designed for the use of schools.
London: R. Snagg, 1774. First edition, 12mo, pp. [4], viii, [4], 247; full contemporary blind-ruled calf, rubbed and worn with spine ends chipped away and corners showing; the spine in six compartments with raised bands, the leather flaking; the joints and hinges cracked and tender, with boards holding by threads..... More
Sand and rock
New York: American Tract Society, [ca. 1840s]. 32mo, pp. 16; engraved illustrations throughout; bound with: Memoir of little George; or, "It is very mean to tell lies". New York: American Tract Society, [ca. 1850s]. Together in red cloth over marble boards, gilt spine, some shelf wear, edges rubbed, a bit..... More
