"RECKON I NEVER HEARD A PONY TALK UP SO PLAIN": FIRST EDITION OF MISTY OF CHINCOTEAGUE, 1947

HENRY, Marguerite. Misty of Chincoteague. Chicago: Rand McNally, (1947). Octavo, pictorial blue cloth, pictorial endpapers, original dust jacket. $400.

First edition of Marguerite Henry’s cherished, true-to-life horse adventure, wonderfully illustrated by Wesley Dennis, in original dust jacket.

Over nearly five decades, Henry authored "some four dozen books that introduced young readers to animals in the great outdoors… weaving the romance and history of mankind's association with the animal world into her illustrated texts" (New York Times). Of those books, Misty of Chincoteague is the best-known and most-loved. The delightful story, inspired by a real Assateague horse, follows the adventures of the freedom-loving colt Misty and two children who dream of owning her. First printing, with "A" on copyright page. With color endpapers and numerous in-text illustrations—many full-page, and with two color double-page illustrations—by Wesley Dennis, "whose beautiful drawings and watercolor illustrations add great appeal to most of the author's works" (Silvey, 305).

Book fine; mild chipping to spine ends of colorful near-fine dust jacket.