Blackberrys Kitten Lettice Cooper 1961 1st Edition Illustrated Dust Jacket
 
Title & Bibliographic Details
 
Blackberry’s Kitten by Lettice Cooper
Illustrated by Mary Shillabeer
Published 1961
London & Leicester
Brockhampton Press Ltd
Printed by Jarrold & Sons Ltd, Norwich
First Edition (as stated on the imprint page)
 
Historical & Bibliographic Context
 
Blackberry’s Kitten represents the distinguished novelist Lettice Cooper’s first work written specifically for children, marking an important transition in her literary career.
 
Published during the golden age of mid-20th-century British children’s publishing, the book reflects the era’s emphasis on gentle storytelling, domestic themes, and animal-centred narratives designed to appeal to younger readers.
 
Its enduring charm lies in its simplicity, warmth, and its portrayal of childhood responsibility and companionship.
 
About the Author
 
Lettice Cooper (1897–1994) was a respected British novelist and biographer. Educated at Oxford, she became known for works such as Fenny, alongside her contributions to literary criticism and biography.
 
She was closely associated with literary circles of the early 20th century and is collected today for both her adult fiction and her rarer contributions to children’s literature.
 
About the Illustrator
 
Mary Shillabeer was a British illustrator known for her delicate and expressive artwork in children’s books.
 
Her illustrations in this volume add considerable charm and collectability, combining gentle line work with a sensitivity well suited to animal subjects and domestic scenes.
 
Binding & Exterior Description
 
The book is bound in publisher’s original white boards, housed in its original and intact illustrated dust jacket.
 
The dust jacket remains unclipped with the original price present, an increasingly desirable feature for collectors.
 
Condition notes:
Dust jacket shows edge wear, small tears, and light marking
Boards have soft bumping and light wear, particularly to the spine
Some light marks to the boards, mainly at the edges
Despite this, the volume presents very well as a complete vintage example with its original jacket.
 
Interior Condition
 
The pages are bright for their age, crisp, and well preserved.
 
Condition includes:
no pen or pencil inscriptions
a small edge tears on just a few pages
occasional light marks
 
Otherwise:
pages are predominantly clean and uncreased
illustrations remain clear and attractive throughout
binding is tight and secure
 
Physical Details
 
Pagination: 88 pages
Dimensions: 21 × 14.5 × 1.6 cm
Weight: Approximately 300 g
 
Rarity & Collector Notes
 
First editions of Blackberry’s Kitten are not commonly encountered in complete condition with their original dust jackets.
 
Survival rates for children’s books, especially those with intact jackets, are typically low, making such examples increasingly desirable.
 
While not extremely rare, this title is best described as:
Uncommon in first edition with dust jacket
 
Key desirability factors include:
confirmed first edition status
original unclipped dust jacket
charming full illustrations by Mary Shillabeer
author’s first children’s book