Scarce in this condition

Nichols, Beverley; Morton-Sale, Isobel and John (Illus.) ~ The Tree that Sat Down

Jonathan Cape, London : 1945

The First UK printing published by Jonathan Cape, London in 1945. 8vo., green cloth with black peacock device to upper cover; lettered in silver to the spine with the publisher's device to the foot; green top-stain remains very bright ; in the unclipped pictorial wrapper (8s. 6d. net) printed in green, brown, red and white.. With illustrations by the Morton-Sales; decorative endpapers; coloured frontis on glossy paper, and numerous other black and white illustrations throughout the text; The BOOK is an excellent copy, slightly ghosted to the boards and mild pushing to the spine tips; previous ownership ink inscription to front free endpaper; else near Fine; The WRAPPER is also near Fine, with a couple of light creases to the edges and folds. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. A story set in an enchanted wood, in which the protagonist, Judy, helps her grandmother run 'The Shop Under the Willow Tree' selling weird and wonderful objects. When a rival shop is opened by a witch, threatening their business, Judy must save the wood, and its inhabitants, from the forces of wickedness. Nichols was a prolific writer of books and plays across a huge range of genres, and this was his first of three children's books which he penned in the 1940s and 50s. His final children's tale, 'The Wickedest Witch in the World', was published in 1971. "Maybe some of the characters have a modern touch" he writes of this particular title, "the witches, for instance, keep their toads in frigidaires. But otherwise it belongs on the shelf with all the old tales of one's childhood, which begin with the words ...once upon a time..." The wonderful illustrations are provided by Isobel and John Morton-Sale, who first met at Central School of Art, married, and went on together to illustrate a large number of children's books over the course of their respective careers. A classic work of children's fiction, featuring sleeping spells, wizards, transformations, and animal families including badgers, chameleons and peacocks. Extremely scarce in this condition.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Near Fine