Description

“THE LITTLE HOUSE WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE CITY AND WONDERED WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO LIVE THERE…”: BEAUTIFUL, RARE FIRST EDITION OF VIRGINIA LEE BURTON’S THE LITTLE HOUSE, SIGNED BY HER

BURTON, Virginia Lee. The Little House. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1942. Oblong quarto, original blue cloth, pictorial endpapers, original dust jacket.   

Rare first edition of Burton’s Caldecott-winning classic, beautifully illustrated by the author, signed by her.

One of the rarest and most sought-after children’s classics, Burton’s The Little House tells the story of a thinking and feeling house, from its earliest days isolated in the country through its later years as it watches a city come to life around it. “Taking her cue from her small sons, Aristides and Michael, Burton chose subjects that would intrigue children… [including] Mary Ann, the steam shovel… [Burton’s books] have heroes and heroines children can understand and enjoy, ingenious and satisfactory endings and lively illustrations. The books survive because they exhibit so effectively the elements most basic to children’s literature” (Silvey, 109-10).

Cloth with only mildest toning to spine. Dust jacket with light expert restoration. A beautiful copy of a rare first edition, especially elusive and desirable signed by Burton.