Little Wide-Awake : An Anthology from Victorian Children's Books and Periodicals in the Collection of Anne and Fernand G. Renier

Arthur Barker, London, first edition, 1967. Cloth, 4to, 27 cm,. 240 pp, numerous ills (some colour). From the blurb: "Amongst the finest treasures of the Victorian era are the children's books with their wonderful stories, poems and illustrations. From one of the larger private collections of Victorian children's books and periodicals in England, owned by Mr F. G. and Mrs Anne Renier, Leonard de Vries has compiled an anthology which is as attractive for adults as for children, and which is of value to teachers, historians and all others who are interested in children and history, because the ideals and ideas of the period are reflected in this book. Little Wide-Atoake, as the anthology is called after the name of one of the most popular children's periodicals of the 19th century, reveals many details of life in the Victorian world with astonishing frankness and great vivacity, especially in the field of social welfare. The religious ideas of the day are expressed in a selection from hundreds of publications by the Religious Tract Society. The anthology contains stories of unexpected horror and of sweetness, more realistic than anything published for children today. In it are fine examples of books of instruction, alphabets and forerunners of the comic strips. Towards the end of the chronological arrangements there are superb examples of poetry and early 'art nouveau' illustrations. Little Wide-Awake-, designed in a Victorian typographical style, contains about 60 stories, 150 poems, more than 300 black and white pictures and about 40 pictures in full colour, all reproduced with the greatest care from the original wood engravings, woodcuts and lithographs. Its emotions range from horror to wonder - a variety which combines to delight the public of today. Near Very Good in slightly fingersoiled and price-clipped dustwrapper.