Up and Downs, A Novel Picture Book for the Little Ones

London and New York: Ernest Nister and E.P. Dutton, 1908. Boards. Very good. [MOVABLE BOOK] [JUVENILE] [HOLIDAYS] [RHYMING VERSE] [WOMAN AUTHOR]. London: Ernest Nister and New York: E. P. Dutton, No date [c. 1908]. Printed in Bavaria.

Cover title: Up and Down. A Book of Changing Pictures.
8vo (8 7/8" x 6 ¼"); [16]pp; color pictorial boards, blue cloth shelf back; three staple binding holding but loose; gift inscription on ffep dated "Jan. 20, '16"; pictorial title page; 5 color plates with pictures changeable by movable tab, one plate lacks its tab but the picture can be moved down by hand; light rubbing and wear to boards, staple binding pulling away from pastedown, light overall wear; very good minus. Montanaro p.323 (dates this publication as 1908 based on an inscription). OCLC locates 2 copies, both in the UK, also at the Winterthur Library in the US. Scarce. Scarce in any condition, this colorful movable children's picture book changes the pictures by pulling down on a tab. Rhyming verse by Lucy L. Weedon (1862-1939) accompanies each plate of 4 movable pictures. The verses are titled "When Christmas Comes" and pictures a snowman, Santa, and children playing in the snow; "Summer-Time" shows children playing outdoors in lovely Edwardian-style clothing; "The Children's Pets" features children with a dog, cat, small goat, and donkey; "At the Sea" pictures children playing at the sea; and "Fairyland" is illustrated with fairies flying on the backs of butterflies and peering over rocks. The verses "Up and Down," "The Land of Make-Believe" and "L'Envoi" have no corresponding movable picture but are illustrated in black and white.

"When Christmas comes, hurrah, hurrah! / We have such first-rate fun, / We put our coats and gaiters on, / And out of doors we run. / We build a snow-man, big and tall / With two large stones for eyes— / He's so like dear old Uncle Dick, / That Babs to kiss him tries. / At night we hang our stockings up, / And Santa Claus he comes, / And fills them to the very top / With toys and sugar-plums. / No wonder that we shout ‘hurrah!' / When Christmas Time is near, / For Christmas Time's the Children's Time, / The best Time of the year.".