Paris: L’Accueil de Paris, n.d. (mid-century). One of a series of beautifully illustrated leaflets on the beauties of Paris edited by L’Accueil de Paris under the authority of the Conseil Municipal de Paris. This one focuses upon the basins and ponds or lakes of Paris gardens, the text’s author noting that these lakes (or oceans) are created by the hand of man for humanity’s pleasure and the games of children. Two reproductions of watercolours by Catalan-born artist, Emilio Grau Sala, illustrate children gathered around their miniature sailboats in the basin of the Luxembourg gardens and romantic figures posed around the lake at the Parc de Buttes-Chaumont. We have not located a copy of this leaflet online, but we did find another similar item illustrated by Grau-Sala and offered by L’Accueil de Paris on the topic of “Fenêtres de Paris.” at the Musée de Carnavet. It would seem that the one loose coloured illustration was offered for the buyer to frame or use for decoration. Consequently, most of the leaflets composed in this way are very scarce. Oblong leaflet, 6 ff, with 2 ff text and including illustrated covers, one of which is coloured and measures 22.2 x 27 cm and one smaller illustration in black and white on lowr cover; + 1 coloured plate, loose, as issued, measuring 22.7 x 27 cm.

(Paris): Librairie de Gide Fils, n.d. ( ca.1820). A rare and sweet little edition of Arnaud Berquin’s L’AMI DES ENFANS issued in the series Le Petit Bilbiothécaire, this example embellished with colour plates. Le Petit Bibliothécaire collection included sets of natural history, the history of France, antiquity for young people, etc. A publisher’s list for the series is included here at the back of Vol. 6. The little narratives offered range in subject matter : horticulture, natural science, play, etiquette, virtue, punishment, obligation, and justice. There are 7 hand-coloured plates to each volume, thus 42, not including the frontispieces. “Despite the popularity of the work of Mme Le Prince de Beaumont, Mme d’Epinay and Mme de Genlis, it is Arnaud Berquin(1747-1791) who is most often credited with being the real pioneer of children’s literature in France.” (Brown, P.E. A CRITICAL HISTORY OF FRENCH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE. Vol. One: 1600-1830, p. 147). Berquin was certainly very prolific. While there are many versions in different formats of L’AMI DES ENFANS recorded in libraries and sometimes for sale, this Petit Bibliothécaire edition with the colour plates is rare. Cotsen notes a different version of larger format, (No. 641) and Gumuchian 606064 and 6065 also list other formats. Ref: 16876 A Set of Berquin for Le Petit Biliothécaire 32mo (9.8 x 6.1 cm); 159 + (1); 160; 159 + (1); 160; 159 + (1); 156 + (iv) + 6 hand - coloured engraved frontispieces + 42 hand-coloured plates hors-texte.

New York, Toronto, London: McGraw Hill, 1963. First edition. Illustrated by the author’s husband, Richard Bergere. Each page of this very appealing children’s book is filled with suitably misty scenes in Paris from steep steps in Montmartre, kiosks, exchanges at the children’s local boulangerie, the Eiffel Tower viewed from “La Butte” to the Seine beside Notre Dame, the activity of the Luxembourg Gardens, and back to markets and squares in Montmartre. A big umbrella and little boots escort the children about in a Paris illustrated in a hazy blue/black with splashes of red. A simple text describes the “lashing and splashing” of the Seine and the surprise of sudden spring showers in the gardens. with charming endpapers of parpluies in the rain.iesud Small folio (25.7 x 18.5cm); 32 illustrated pages.

(Paris): ca. 1925. This is a production of the wonderful Maison Tolmer: “ a prestigious printing house in Paris, renowned for its superb graphics and luxurious publications and packaging.” ( British Museum.org>term > BIOG 200508). A surprising and very delightful toy paper hatbox decorated on its round sides and lid top with delicate pochoir floral decoration. The lid top shows a scene of a young couple under a tree, the young man, hat in hand, and the young girl seated with a flower in hand. The feeling of the piece is very much in that joyous and elegant spirit found in early 20th century Parisian fashion works so often illustrated by pochoir. With the original ribbon closure system. Inside, in contemporary tissue paper, sits a small straw and netted hat with ribbon surround and tiny artificial flowers. Fine. Decorated paper covered light board circular box, 6 cm. diameter; 4 cm. tall; including removable lid and original ribbon closure.

Chez LeCerf et Chez Banchard, n.d. (1819). The young children of the family Senneval voyage around Paris beginning by crossing the Seine to the park Saint Cloud and from there to Lagny; Charonne; Saint-Denis; Charenton; Surène et Au Calvaire; Versailles; Arcueil et Bicetre; Saint-Germain; Montmartre; Sceaux, et Vincennes. At each spot they learn local or national history, but, also, they experience local pastimes and learn the ways of the people. This title is modestly famous for its illustration of the family eating dinner in the tree-tops of le Poirier sans pareil ( destroyed in 1814 says a text note) maintained by a local traiteur. This copy of the book is undated, as are some listed in OCLC. The date of 1819 is suggested for the Cotsen copy which does not specifically indicate colouring to the plates; the Morgan copy in the Corsair collection suggests 1819 with only 48 pp., but hand-colouring; Gallica, giving a different publisher, lists no date. Gumuchian 4641 is uncoloured. Quite scarce in commerce. Ref. 17068 Eating in the Tree-tops in Montmartre 16mo, small format oblong, 12 x 18 cm.; 56 pp. + frontispiece, engraved decorative title and 12 plates hors texte, all coloured by hand.

London (6);Wellington, Salop (1); Gloucester(1): Frederick Westley and A.H. Davis; Hatchards?; Houlston and Son; Hough and Jew, 1827; 1827; 1828; 1828; 1824; 1824; 1828; 1828. Quite a scarce collection of little English chapbooks. For the children’s gardening book, “ROBERT OR THE LITTLE FLORIST” and “EDWARD WALLACE or THE LITTLE ASTRONOMER” we have found no copies in Library Hub, British Library, or Princeton. A copy without wraps, like ours, of THE SUNBEAM was found in World Cat. Stanley’s WONDERFUL MEN OF MODERN TIMES was found at Oxford in Library Hub. The British Library contains an 1827 edition of the second half only of Samuel Maitland’s HOLY WARS. The British Library has the 1828 edition of THE BUNCH OF VIOLETS. WONDERFUL MEN OF MODERN TIMES was found in World Cat’s reference to OCLC 8394367. Many such chapbooks of this period are bound up with others, often making it difficult to track them down. REF: 16958 With a very scarce children’s gardening book and equally scarce children’s astronomy book. Generally, 32mo; 10 x 6.2 cm; 32; 22 (ii); 46 + (ii); 45 + (1); 30; 24; 15, with final page on wrapper recto; 24 + 1 blank. With numerous wood-engraved illustrations and with one fold-out engraved plate.

London: ca. 1910. No. 105 of the Dean’s Rag Books, Patented. Cope’s DEAN’S RAG BOOKS & RAG DOLLS noting publication from 1910-1913. Cope also attributes the art work to artists Evelyn Gladys Hall ( called the “backbone of Dean’s creative department)and Sybil Scott Paley (for the cover), but the Cotsen Collection (74283 Pams) attributes the cover illustration to Catrina Patricchio whose name is on the cover. Patricchio was the artist for other books by Dean on flower painting; perhaps here she was the person who created the concept of the book. The classic Arts & Crafts cover design shows a bonneted and full-skirted young girl walking between two tall standard blossoming fruit trees in matching planters with an arched opening in a tall hedge as background. Within the text are illustrations of colourful fruit, flowers,insects, birds, gardening tools and furniture. Seven colours were used in this production created entirely on cloth. The book is accompanied by a flyer listing the company’s rag books and doll and plush animals. Each page illustrated in vibrant colours, printed on cloth, with identification. A Dean Rag Book Rarity. Wear Ever-Tear Never. Sewn cloth overstitched with “pinked” edges, 322 x 174mm; 6 ff of illustrations with captions; 7 colours; upper and lower covers included in count. With small printed advertising flyer, 11 x 18.5 cm, folded into three panels and printed on all sides.

APELDOORN: TALENS & ZOON, 1925-28. A very scarce set of Dutch educational games made of cards sets, each series (A,B,C) possessing 20 coloured and 20 uncoloured cards with identical outlines. Series A & B include loose paper circles (in 3 sizes ) and loose paper squares ( in 1 size ) provided in glassine envelopes and all three sets include the printed instructions in Dutch. The images progress somewhat in complexity, with squares gradually playing more of a part, and the children playing with them are instructed to start with the coloured cards as example and then apply the coloured circles and squares to the uncoloured versions with glue. Different effects will be achieved with the use of different colours on the same object outline and this, of course, is part of the learning process. The series D is not included with this set; each series could be purchased separately. Sara Maria Bouman-van Tertholen (Rijnsburg 1878-Amsterdam 1950) was a Froebel teacher, author of books of art instruction for children and creator of songs for children. The concept of the game and the abstract forms of the individual card illustrations clearly fit into the rise of Modernism during the period of publication. We have located 2 listings in Holland on OCLC, no results on Library Hub or in online sales as of August 2024. Scarce. Ref. 17129 Froebel Influence In The Children’s World of Learning Volume II: Physical Training, Art & Craft for Children, Varia. 60 printed cards, numbered sequentially, half coloured, half uncolored contained in three printed folders identified as series A,B,C. Two sets of loose light paper shapes of circles and squares in glassine envelopes - not present in Serie C; Three folded leaflets of 4 pp. each accompanying each set. Cards measure 14.5 x 8.5 cm; outer envelopes also about 14.5 x 8.5 cm.

Milano: Emme Edizioni, (1974). First edition. A beautiful and rather mysterious colouring book printed on glossy paper showing a vintage red and blue car with silver wheels travelling through town and country scenes ( somewhat surreal ones) with three young passengers. The artist, Paola Pallottino, has been a prolific writer and illustrator of children’s fiction and of popular scientific texts. She was also a lyricist for contemporary music and theatre. As a scholar, Pallottino helped develop a new approach to the history of illustration, producing the HISTORY OF ITALIAN ILLUSTRATION - STORIA DELL ILLUSTRAZIONE ITALIANO- in 1988. Pallottino taught the history of contemporary illustration at DAMS in Bologna and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. Not found in Library Hub, Princeton or Toronto; on OCLC we have so far located 2 copies in Italy; 2 in the US; 1 in Australia and 1 in Switzerland. Ref. 17056 In a red, blue, and silver car. Square 8vo (21 x 21 cm); glued and sewn; half title + 10 ff. with no text apart from lettering on buildings, but with illustrations in black and white and in red, blue and silver.