Cautionary Tales and other Verses

London: The Folio Society, 1997. Reprint . Hardcover. Near Fine/Slip-cased. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Condition is like new and has no faults.The slipcase has very light shelf wear only. Bound in cloth, printed and blocked with an illustration by Posy Simmonds Set in Walbaum with hand-drawn display 9 full-page colour illustrations and 33 black & white illustrations by Posy Simmonds Belloc writes with such verve that every impossible polysyllabic rhyme resembles a child sticking its tongue out at the very authority he claims to represent, whilst reading his irreverent send-up of footnotes is a warning to every reader never to use them pompously again: 'He had a lot of stocks and shares And half a street in Buenos Aires* But this pronunciation varies Some people call it Bu-enos Airés' This volume includes not only The Cautionary Tales, but also the two books of beasts, 'More Peers', 'A Moral Alphabet' and many other delightful excursions into the hilarious world of Belloc's verses. The acclaimed graphic novelist and illustrator Posy Simmonds has produced 8 full-page colour plates and a host of pencil cartoons to accompany the poems. Famous for her witty satirical style, her drawings of smug children, grumpy lions and bewildered Eskimos add even more charm and humour to Belloc's verses.