The Child's Illustrated ABC Book

Philadelphia: Joseph Lyons, 1854. Wraps. Good +. Unusual child's picture book with each letter of the alphabet accompanied by an animal wood cut illustration, each on a blank backed page. With a kangaroo mother with joey for the letter "K", and quite a few other exotic animals, including the panther from Robinson Crusoe known as "Xury's Lion".

Other animals used to illustrate the letters of the alphabet include: the Ichneumon (northern African mongoose), the jackal, lion, Nyl-Ghau (the largest Asian antelope), the ourang-outang, pig, quagga (an extinct South African zebra), rabbits, squirrels, tiger, urus (Germanic name for wild ox), vampyre (sic), wolf, Xury's-lion (sic), yak, and zebra. Xury's lion is a reference to an animal in 'Robinson Crusoe'; actually a panther, it refers to the animal which frightened the slave boy Xury and which was shot by Crusoe. The vampyre page with a large "V" and sardonic looking flying bat.

24mo, not paginated but each letter printed on one page, with the verso blank. Twenty six pages plus 2 pp of alphabet and an advertisement. Also with an engraved title page, and front wrapper. Advertisement for Joseph Lyons, "Designer, engraver and fine book and wood cut engraver" at the last page, printed in a variety of elaborate type fonts and with his address at Arch Street Hall, Philadelphia. Illustrated pale pink wrappers, title in black, lacking the rear wrapper. Booklet rubbed at edges front cover; the front cover has been pinned to the following pages! Booklet has then been hand stitched; there is a front wrapper only. Not recorded in World Cat or in Trove.