A very elusive title more-so in the wrapper

Spain, Nancy ~ The Tiger who Couldn’t Eat Meat

Max Parrish, London: 1954

The First UK Printing published by Max Parrish, London in 1954. 4to., bright yellow publisher's boards, lettered in black to spine with tiger device in black to upper board; together in the unclipped pictorial wrapper ('7'6 net' to front flap) featuring a tiger with cubs to the upper panel; illustrated throughout by Nancy Spain in full colour; The BOOK a lovely, bright copy is in Very Good++ condition, with a hint of darkening to the spine and lightly bumped at the tips; endpapers browned and offset; otherwise clean and bright with no annotations; The WRAPPER, seldom found, also in Very Good+ condition; a little toned, with light spotting to the upper edge; a couple of scratches to the lower panel; some closed tears to edges up to 6cm in length, and chipping to ends of spine and folds, the largest 1.5cm to foot of spine, marginally affecting lettering and extending with closed tear into the lower panel. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. The first title in Spain's series concerning Simpkin the tiger, this story focusing on his expulsion into the Jungle by his mother, his subsequent friendship with an abandoned child, and his travels to England with his closest companion. Several further books followed, including 'The Tiger Who Went to the Moon' (1956) and 'The Tiger who found Treasure' (1961). Nancy Spain (1917-1964) is perhaps best remembered today as a broadcaster and journalist who wrote for the 'Daily Express' and the 'News of the World' in the 1950s and 1960s, and also appeared on a series of radio broadcasts including 'Woman's Hour'. She also wrote numerous works of non-fiction and a series of detective novels which were described by the biographer Rachel Cooke as "eccentric and outrageously camp". She passed away suddenly in 1964 when her airplane, travelling to report on the Grand National, crashed near Liverpool, killing all on board. This remains a scarce work, seldom found in the wrapper.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good++
JACKET: Very Good+