The Rhyming Rainbow. [Written and illustrated by Cicely Mary Barker. **]

US,slim 12mo HB+dw/dj,1st edn. [An exported(?) American edition with original UK publisher Blackie and Son Ltd., joint credit along with US publisher's name,a US ISBN and a US$ price present and stated 'Printed in Great Britain' to rear inner flap of dw/dj.Published posthumously as Cicely died at the age of seventy-seven on 16 February 1973,the same year she celebrated the 50th anniversary of her first published 'Flower Fairies' book, "The Flower Fairies of Spring."] FINE/FINE-.No owner inscrptn,no price-clip to dw/dj,but a diagonal clip to front,inner,lower corner tip of dw/dj flap. Bright,crisp,clean,wrap-around, glossy,maroon background with a white-bordered,colour pictorial artwork illustrated panel by Cicely Mary Barker to front of dw/dj with a white-lettered title; spine/backstrip with white-lettered author name,title and UK+US publisher's names to foot of same,rear panel without illustration but capitalised, white-lettered FFAK to rear,lower corner towards foot of spine.Negligible shelf-wear to edges and corners,minimal creasing to its top edges - no nicks tears or splits present. Top+fore-edges inevitably but lightly toned but clean without foxing/spotting; contents bright,crisp and clean, tight,solid and sound - pristine - and no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corner tips - appears unread,other than my own collation.Publisher's glossy,bright,crisp,clean unblemished,paper-covered boards with repeated dw/dj design+lettering to same; with miniscule rubbing to head+ foot of spine and corner tips.and immaculate plain white endpapers.US,slim 12mo HB+dw/dj,illustrated 1st edn, 32pp (excluding free endpapers) includes half-title with colour pictorial artwork illustrated frntis to its reverse,title page,a mixture of 17 poems/verses selected and illustrated by Cicely Mary Barker,as diverse as Traditional, Robert Herrick, Christina Rosetti (The Rainbow), Robert Louis Stevenson, and James Hogg as contributors; 7 full-page, full colour illustrations and 12 assorted thumbnail b/w line illustrations interspersed throughout the text and book - all illustrations by Cicely Mary Barker. Visually the exterior appearance is exceptional,and particularly internally,the book is also in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation for a book of its 45+ year-old age and nature, i.e. an ephemeral children's book]. It really is an exceptional,exemplary example for its cleanliness,brightness and lack of major detracting faults. Since their first publication in 1923,Cicely Mary Barker's 'Flower Fairies' have enchanted adults and children alike, around the world. The botanically accurate drawings in her 170 original illustrations were also originally accompanied by a poem or verse dedicated to the individual Flower Fairy,coupled with the enchanting fairy images based on real children from Cicely's sister's nursery school,have an innate appeal. Please contact seller,because of the lighter weight and the value of this item, for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence, then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **