Jenny and the Insects; Or, Little Toilers and Their Industries by [Guernsey, Lucy Ellen]; Giacomelli, Hector (Illust.) - 1880

London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1880. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. First Edition. Hardcover. This charmingly conceived and prettily bound 1880 children's book follows a young girl, the titular Jenny, as she learns about the insect world through a series of dialogues with "A Great Ugly Spider," "A Nice Little Housekeeper"-an ant, "The Little Confectioner"-a bee; "A Paper-Maker"-a wasp, "A Curious Caterpillar," "The Beetles," "A Musical Family"-a cricket, "Hunters and Miners"-a dragonfly, and "Two-Winged Insects"-a gnat. This uncredited educational novel is the work of Lucy Ellen Guernsey (1826-1899), an activist, abolitionist, and author of over 60 books for children. This British edition is illustrated in a frontispiece and 25 enchantingly lush and detailed illustrations by the French artist Hector Giacomelli (1822-1904).

Presumed first and only British edition, preceded by the American edition published by Sunday School Union. 7 1/8" X 5". 267pp, plus four pages of ads. Bound in full blue cloth over boards, with hive scene in red, three bees in gilt, spider, dragonfly, an dbutterly in red, and spiderweb in black to upper board, lettered in red and black, and caterpillar and butterfly in black and red to spine, lettered in gilt. Mild wear to binding, with some fading to red at sunned spine, rubbing to edges and extremities, scuffing to rear board, bumping to corners, and slight lean to spine. Bookseller's ticket of George Philip & Son Educational and Kinder Garten Depot to front pastedown. Prize bookplate to front free endpaper, below inked Tottenham School Board: Presented to Nina Florence Palmer for Regular Attendance at West-Green Girls' School for year 1888," with signatures of I. F. Adams, Clerk, and B. Price, Head Mistress. Toning to endpapers. Binding is sound. Pages are clean and unmarked. Illustrated in frontispiece and 25 illustrations by the French artist Hector Giacomelli (1822-1904).