“THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER WAS, THE BABY LOOKED VERY MUCH LIKE A MOUSE IN EVERY WAY”: FIRST EDITION OF STUART LITTLE

WHITE, E.B. Stuart Little. New York and London: Harper & Brothers, (1945). Octavo, original pictorial olive cloth, pictorial endpapers, original dust jacket. $1800.

First edition of White’s “outstandingly funny and sometimes touching” (Carpenter & Prichard, 568) first book for children.

"The story had been brewing with White for years as a disconnected series of bedtime tales for his nieces and nephews by the time it came to Harper. There, shepherded by the distinguished editor Ursula Nordstrom and felicitously illustrated [with 87 drawings] by Garth Williams, the book was eventually published-generally to high acclaim… The book sounds a resonant note as Stuart undertakes his quest for the beautiful bird, Margalo. And that quest, as White himself noted, 'symbolizes the continuing journey that everybody takes—in search of what is perfect and unattainable. This is perhaps too elusive an idea to put into a children's book, but I put it in anyway" (Silvey, 677). First edition, first printing, with code "I-U" on copyright page. Anderson, 6.

A lovely, about-fine copy.