Paris: Chez A. Marc, n.d, (ca. 1821-25?). First edition of this most charming children's botanical work, this copy with coloured plates, by the prolific French governess for the children of the duc d'Orléans. These jeux champêtres are designed to instruct by the experience of nature, a key element in Mme. de Genlis’s approach to education. The text takes the form of a dialogue between teacher and students. Here the children collect and play games with flowers and plants, learning their science along the way. They learn to make a herbier as well. Engravings of certain flowers and some of the toys or amusements one can make with them illustrate the text. Also included at the end of the work is a fairy tale, "l"Ile des Monstres", in which natural forms appear enlarged in life as though seen under a microscope. Oxford and Cambridge lists their copies as editions originales with the dates of 1821 and 1822. The Gumuchian date, also identified as edition originale is “vers 1825”. Copies were printed plain, coloured, and on velum, coloured. There are a few other copies in online library catalogues, but the book is rare in commerce. Ref. 16894 A Coloured Copy Gumuchian 2704 & 2705 12mo (16 x 9.5 cm); (ii) + xii + 236 pp. with 8 hand-coloured engravings including title page vignette.