[First Edition] Animal Lore and Disorder: A Riddle Book...

Publication: London, The Falcon Press Ltd., c. 1950 Formatting: Oblong 8vo, unpaginated [pp. 32]. Condition Report Very Good. The original pictorial paper-covered boards remain remarkably bright, with the black and green cover design retaining its strong visual appeal. There is light rubbing to the extremities, minor bumping to the corners, and slight wear along the spine joints, which is entirely consistent with a children's activity book of this vintage. Internally, the binding remains secure. The pages are notably clean and free from the heavy handling marks or creasing often found in interactive volumes. Most importantly, the delicate horizontally bisected flap pages are fully intact and functional, with no tears or amateur repairs, allowing the mix-and-match illustrations to be enjoyed exactly as intended. Catalogue Note This copy is a highly presentable example of the Falcon Press edition, published circa 1950, which followed the true 1947 first printing by Riddle Books Ltd. The volume is profusely illustrated in colour by the author with vivid, comical depictions of various animals. The book features an ingenious split-page format, with each leaf cut horizontally across the centre. This allows the reader to turn the top and bottom halves independently, creating up to 200 fantastical hybrid creatures (such as a "Cocero," half cow and half rhinoceros), complete with newly combined descriptive verses. While later reprints occasionally surface, finding early editions of this interactive flap book in such a well-preserved, functional state is scarce on the open market, as the vast majority were subjected to heavy use and destruction by young readers. A delightful and scarce mid-century children's interactive book that invites the reader to create a menagerie of absurd and mythical creatures. By flipping the bisected pages, children and adults alike can construct bizarre new animalsâ"each accompanied by a newly formed, humorous poem detailing their strange habits. It remains a superb and highly entertaining example of post-war interactive book design.

Estimate:$48.67

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