Der Struwwelpeter: Ein Bilderbuch macht Karriere

Der Struwwelpeter. Ein Bilderbuch macht Karriere,
by Johannes Baumgartner. 2 volumes.
Freiburg: privately printed for the author, 1996-1998
Tall 8vo., 88, 103 pp.; blue and red cloth bindings with printed pictorial cover labels.
Highly important, one of its kind, and profusely illustrated survey of 300 different variations, translations, re-illustrations, anthologies and parodies of these famous cautionary rhymes for children, including controversial political adaptations. The international scope and notes make these volumes essential as a research tool, despite the limited German language text. Finally there has been published a descriptive catalogue of what is probably the best collection in private ownership of Heinrich Hoffmann's famous picture-book: Struwwelpeter (or Slovenly Peter as he is known from English translations).
Originally published in 1844, this book of moralizing verse tales with fantastic pictures has never been out of print, and it has generated countless reprints, piracies, parodies and imitations. There cannot be any serious collector of historic books for children who does not know the stories of Pauline and the Matches, Little Suck-a-Thumb, Cruel Frederick, Augustus who wouldn't eat his soup, Johnny Look-in-the-Air, and all the rest.
This two-volume descriptive catalogue of a private library is profusely illustrated with many colored reproductions after the printed originals. While only with German text, they are great books just to look through to see all of the different illustration styles employed during these past 150+ years as well as the many different languages these tales have been translated into forming this important and influential body of work.