DOUBLE SIGNED BY AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR, WITH ORIGINAL DOODLE.

DONALDSON, Julia; [Axel SCHEFFLER, Illus.] ~ Tabby McTat. Double signed, doodled, located and dated.

FIRST UK PRINTING. Alison Green Books, Edinburgh, 2009.

Large 8vo.,, publisher's laminated boards, showing two cats under a crescent moon; together in the repeat dustwrapper (unclipped, £10.99 to front flap); decorative green endpapers; illustrated in full colour throughout by Scheffler; THE BOOK very nearly fine, with just a tiny bump at head of spine, and pencil price erased from ffep, causing a slight abrasion; THE WRAPPER fine, with circular 'By the creators of the The Gruffalo' sticker to the front panel, and rectangular 'Visit www.gruffalo.com for Gruffalo activities, games and FUN!' to the lower. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First UK edition, first printing, with full number line 1-9. This copy double signed by both Donaldson and Scheffler to the title page in black ink, along with the place and date (Edinburgh / 24. 8. 2019' to the lower edge; and a little sketch in black ink showing a cat with speech bubble and musical notation. Donaldson's seventeenth collaboration with the German-born illustrator Axel Scheffler, this story following a busker, Fred, and his loyal companion, the titular protagonist. When the pair are separated, Tabby begins a new life with a comfortable family - but never forgets his old companion. Will the two ever be reconciled? And how will Tabby return to his old life, with a wife and son? The book was inspired two-fold by Donaldson's love of cats, and her experiences busking with her husband, Malcolm. In 2023 film adaptation was released on the BBC, starring Jodie Whittaker and Rob Brydon, the latter who had also starred in other adaptations of Donaldson's works prior. "Me, you and the old guitar, How perfectly, perfectly happy we are. MEEE-EW and the old guitar, How PURRRR-fectly happy we are.” A lovely copy to find with these attributes.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Fine