Description

“HE WAS ONLY A DOG, A HOMESICK, GRIEVING DOG?”: THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY SHEILA BURNFORD TO HER MOTHER

BURNFORD, Sheila. The Incredible Journey. London: Hodder and Stoughton, (1961). Octavo, original green paper boards, pictorial endpapers, original dust jacket.

First edition of Burnford’s award-winning book, presentation copy inscribed on the front free endpaper by Burnford in the year of publication: “To darling Mother, With fondest love from Sheila and Alison, 2. 6. 61.” With endpapers and 12 full-page illustrations by Carl Burger.

“The body of children’s literature has no finer example of realistic animal fiction” (Silvey, 107). This story of two dogs—a bull terrier and a Labrador retriever—and a Siamese cat who travel 300 miles through the Canadian wilderness in search of their owners won the 1963 Canadian Association of Children’s Librarians Book of the Year Award. Adapted for the Disney films The Incredible Journey (1963) and Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993).

Interior fine. Light soiling and mild wear to extremities of price-clipped dust jacket with toning to spine. An extremely good copy with exceptional provenance.