The Tale of Two Bad Mice Beatrix Potter 1972 Warne Ltd Hardback with Dust Jacket
 
The Tale of Two Bad Mice
By Beatrix Potter (1866–1943)
Illustrated by the Author
 
Publication Details
• Author & Illustrator: Beatrix Potter
• Publisher: Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., London & New York
• Date: c. July 1972 (Dust jacket / copyright code: 1098.772 – indicating July 1972)
• ISBNs on Copyright Page:
  Ordinary Edition: 07232 05965
  Library Edition: 07232 0619 8
• Format: Small illustrated hardback
• Pages: 59 pages
• Printing: Printed in Great Britain by William Clowes & Sons Ltd., London, Beccles & Colchester
• Dimensions: Approx. 14.3 × 10.8 × 1 cm
• Weight: Approx. 127 g
 
Binding & Exterior Features
• Original unclipped dust jacket, price 40p Net on inner flap
• Dust jacket in very good condition, with only light marks, gentle edge rubbing, and a few very small edge nicks
• Bound in the publisher’s original paper-covered boards (vellum-style finish)
• Front board with colour illustration of Hunca Munca
• Black titles to front and spine
• Publisher imprint “F. Warne & Co. Ltd.” on front board (post-1917 imprint)
• Boards and spine are clean, bright, and robust, with only the very lightest handling wear
 
Interior Features
• Colour illustrated endpapers and pastedowns with classic Potter animal scenes
• Title page with black & white illustration
• Numerous full-page colour illustrations throughout
• Pages are bright, clean, and uncreased
• Only a few tiny, faint marks (not affecting text or images)
• No pen or pencil present
• No rips or tears
• All 59 pages present and secure
 
Condition Summary
 
Exterior:
Very well-preserved. Dust jacket attractive and complete with only minimal wear.
 
Interior:
Exceptionally clean and fresh for a 1970s Warne printing.
 
Overall:
A lovely, collector-friendly copy of this classic Beatrix Potter tale, retaining its original dust jacket and presenting beautifully.
 
Historical & Collectible Context
The Tale of Two Bad Mice was first published in 1904, making it one of Beatrix Potter’s earliest and most beloved stories. It tells the mischievous tale of Tom Thumb and Hunca Munca, two mice who ransack a doll’s house in search of food, only to discover it is all for show.
 
By the 1970s, Frederick Warne’s Potter books were still being produced to a very high standard, preserving the original format, illustrations, and charm of the Edwardian editions.
 
While this is not a first edition, it is a desirable Warne Ltd hardback with original dust jacket, ideal for collectors seeking attractive, vintage copies rather than modern reprints.