THE WATER-BABIES.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.[Abridged by Ines de Hosson.] FINE+/VG.No owner inscrptn per se,but colour pictorial illustrated adhesive owner bookplate with handwritten owner's name,pasted to front free endpaper and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright,crisp,clean,glossy laminated,colour pictorial artwork by Susan Rowe,illustrated front panel of dw/dj with black+white lettering; with negligible shelf-wear or creasing to edges and corners - no major nicks or tears present.A vertically oblique,angled accidental crease to front panel along with some minimal scoring and other indents but without penetration or affecting the boards beneath,rear panel and board similar.Top edges with light toning,fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight, clean,solid and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners,appears unread - apart from my own collation.Bright, crisp,clean,sharp-cornered,publisher's original plain dark blue cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked silver gilt letters to spine/backstrip,a blue+white striped headband and clean plain white endpapers.UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,9-142pp [paginated] includes 8 chapters,each with a b/w line illustrated headpiece,26 full page,full colour illustrations,2 double- page full page,full colour illustrations,and 2 b/w full page illustrations - all called for (present) and all by Susan Rowe - interspersed throughout the text and the book; plus [unpaginated] blank,a half-title page,a b/w vignette illustrated title page,a contents list/table and to the rear a blank after last paginated page and before rear free endpaper.
'The Water-Babies' is an evocative fairy tale in which Victorian escapism and morality walk hand in hand.Greedy or stupid adults get their come-uppance in a water after-life explored vividly by Charles Kingsley through the eyes of his chimney-urchin hero Tom,the "water-baby".
The story is a series of picturesque allegories,where Tom meets talkative dragonflies,flees from evil otters,then learns the intricacies of river-life status from a majestic salmon.He is captured by and then escapes from an incredulous scientist.Alternately stern and kindly fairies guide him towards the "other-End-of-Nowhere".The book ends on a note of forgiveness,with Mr Grimes,the heartless sweep who mercilessly exploited Tom on dry land,being released from torture by Tom's guiding fairy,Mrs Bedonebyasyoudid.
Susan Rowe's delicate,precise water colours throw a glowing new light on this eminent Victorian clergyman's extraordinary fantasy.
This abridged version brings the story up to date (then 1980) and is a perfect successor to previous editions. Susan Rowe (b.1950) Leicester.She followed a two-year foundation course in Art at Harlow in Essex,intending to be a textile designer.In 1976 she graduated from Brighton Polytechnic,Faculty of Art and Design, Visual Communications and moved to the Lower Ichen area of Hampshire,where she worked on 'The Water-Babies'. Her chosen specialism was children's book illustration.At her graduation exhibition,she was approached by Roger Dean,a local man and entrepreneur,intending to set up a publishing business.She was commissioned by him to illustrate 'The Water-Babies' - her first book for her new publisher.She then began a successful career as an illustrator working for Dragon's World and Paper Tiger. Please contact rpaxtonden@blueyonder.co.uk ,for correct and possibly,insured 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.
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