Little Ones' Story Book Dean & Son c.1940 Illustrated Children's Annual
Bibliographic Details
Title: Little Ones' Story Book
Author: Various contributors
Illustrators: Various, including Mercer, Nora Annie Birch, Cora E. M. Paterson, Sylvia I. Venus, Marda Brown and Joyce Plumstead
Publisher: Dean & Son Ltd.
Place of Publication: Debrett House, 41/43 Ludgate Hill, London, E.C.4
Printer: Made and Printed in Great Britain
Date: c.1940, estimated
Edition: Unstated; not described as a first edition
Format: Illustrated children's annual-style story collection
Pages: 76, plus rear advertisement
Historical & Bibliographical Context
Little Ones' Story Book appears to have been used by Dean & Son for recurring annual-style compilations, with different issues containing different selections of stories, authors and illustrations. A documented 1934 issue, for example, contains Waddles by Enid Blyton alongside other contributors and is described by the bookseller as a period annual; its contents differ substantially from those of the present copy.
The present copy is therefore best regarded as a distinct undated issue, rather than simply a later edition of the 1934 book. Its dating can be narrowed considerably from the physical and commercial evidence. The publisher's address, 41/43 Ludgate Hill, London E.C.4, is particularly useful: Dean & Son moved to this address in 1939, following earlier addresses at 29 King Street and 6 La Belle Sauvage, and examples of Dean books carrying the 41/43 Ludgate Hill imprint are documented from 1939.
The rear Chilprufe advertisement provides further period evidence. Chilprufe Limited was established under that name in 1936, while its children's woollen clothing and wider range of products were being actively marketed during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Contemporary research records Chilprufe catalogues from 1938–39 and advertising during the Second World War, making the advertisement entirely compatible with a late-1930s or early-1940s date.
The precise date cannot, however, be established from the evidence presently available. The present copy is therefore conservatively dated c.1940, with the evidence pointing to approximately 1939–1941.
The book is especially appealing as a surviving example of the children's annual tradition, combining numerous short stories with artwork by several illustrators of the period. Nora Annie Birch, for example, is documented as an artist producing children's postcard designs, while Sylvia I. Venus is well documented as a children's illustrator.
About the Authors
This is a multi-author children's compilation rather than a book attributable to a single author. Contributors include Marie Davies, J. Lawton, M. M. B. Higham, Mabel M. Stevenson, P. M. Frost, M. Callender-Rule, Leslie Kennedy, Olive Enoch, Agnes Richardson, G. H. Musgrove, Roma Lobel and Charlotte Druitt Cole.
About the Illustrators
The book is particularly attractive for its variety of period children's illustration, including a colour frontispiece by Nora Annie Birch, an illustrated title page and black-and-white illustrations throughout. Sylvia I. Venus is of particular interest to collectors of twentieth-century children's illustration and is documented elsewhere as an illustrator of Enid Blyton-related material.
Binding & Exterior
Bound in blue illustrated paper-covered boards, with a cloth spine and plain paper-covered rear board. The front board features a striking colour illustration of a girl with three kittens and the stylised title.
The binding remains intact and structurally sound. There is light rubbing, small marks and bumping to the corners, with heavier rubbing along the edges. The front illustration remains particularly bright and visually appealing.
Interior Condition
The pages are age-toned but generally neat and clean. There are occasional light marks, occasional creasing and a few very small edge tears, including small tears at the inner margin of the pastedowns and free endpapers, none affecting the text or illustrations.
There is pencil writing on the front pastedown and remnants of pencil on the rear free endpaper. The front free endpaper bears the inscription:
“To Margret, Wishing you a Happy Christmas. From Ron and Joyce Hack”
This provides an appealing personal connection to the book and suggests that it was given as a Christmas present.
The pages are secure, with only an extremely light crack in the gutter between pages 48 and 49. No pages are missing and the contents have been checked for completeness.
Physical Details
Pages: 76 pages, plus one-page rear advertisement
Dimensions: Approximately 26.5 × 19.4 × 2.4 cm
Weight: Approximately 329 g