THE ECHOING GREEN.

UK,small,slim 8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.[Complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. Stated First Edition.] FINE+/FINE+.No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright,crisp,clean,matt, pastel coloured pictorial artwork by Michael Foreman,illustrated dw/dj panels,with red+blue lettering; with negligible shelf-wear or creasing to edges and corners - no nicks or tears present.Top edges lightly toned and minimally dust-soiled with faint sporadic foxing/spotting but still fairly clean otherwise,fore- edges brighter and cleaner and without foxing or spotting; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners,appears unread - apart from my own collation. Bright,crisp,clean,sharp-cornered,publisher's original plain RAF blue cloth boards with bright,crisp,stamped gilt letters to spine/backstrip and immaculate plain white endpapers.UK,small,slim 8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn, 7-76pp [paginated] includes profuse part+full page b/w line illustrations by Michael Foreman throughout the text and the book,plus [unpaginated] half-title+title pages and a dedication with a b/w line illustrated vignette to its reverse.
The old man looked into Kath's eyes,and said with sudden force,'Don' you ever let 'em tell you there's glory in war.I seen it.I know.' Kath has come to spend half-term with her great-aunt and uncle in the country,but the visit is not turning out a success.There's nothing much to do and no friends to play with,and Aunty Kitty seems to snap at her for no reason. Then a sudden revelation at the Remembrance Sunday service triggers off an extraordinary chain of events,and Kath uncovers some family secrets in the most dramatic way. History comes to life in this absorbing story,which reaches out to bridge the gap between young and old,past and present,fantasy and reality. Mary Rayner was born in Burma,but when the Japanese invaded that country in WW2,she and her family had to leave in a hurry.She spent the rest of her childhood in India,only coming back to live in England when she was eleven.Best known for her books about Garth Pig and his family,she has also written for older children,but 'The Echoing Green' is her first book for VIKING. Michael Foreman was born in Suffolk just before WW2.His memories of growing up in the war formed the basis of his Kate Greenaway Award-winning book 'War Boy'.Among the many books he has illustrated are 'Fairy Tales' - see my book ID rja2173,'The Saga of Eric the Viking' and 'Nicobobinus',all by Terry Jones. Michael Foreman,born Pakefield,Suffolk,1938.Studied at Lowestoft School of Art and at the Royal College of Art. Lecturer at St Martin's School of Art (1963-65),the London College of Printing (1967/8), the Royal College of Art (1968-70) and the Central School of Arts and Crafts (1972).Art Director of Playboy magazine,Chicago (1965) and the King Magazine,London (1966).Painter,etcher,illustrator and writer of children's books.His illustrative work is distinctive:he often works in colour or halftone,creating luminous effects with veils of thinly diluted pigment over delicate pencil outlines; in his etched illustrations,he uses soft ground techniques to achieve subtle tonal graduations.His imagery,ostensibly decorative,humorous or with a sometimes child-like appearance,often has menacing or bizarre overtones. Since April 2013,again in March 2015,and in this year too,the UK Post Office has altered it's Pricing in Proportion template,altering it's prices, weight allowances,dimensions and lowered it's qualifying compensation rates too!
So,please contact rpaxtonden@blueyonder.co.uk ,because of the lighter weight and the value of this item for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page!