Come Hither, a Collection of Rhymes and Poems for the Young of all Ages

London, England: Constable & Co., 1923. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Full-Leather. Near Fine/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. Buckels, Alec. de la Mare, Walter. Come Hither, a Collection of Rhymes and Poems for the Young of all Ages. London et al: Constable & Co., 1923. True first edition. Printed in Great Britain by Robert Maclehose & Co. Ltd., The University Press, Glasgow. 7.75 x 5.25 inches. Contemporary blue crushed full levant gilt, stamp-signed "Bayntun, Binder, Bath, Eng." The binding has a beautiful hand and is in superb condition, with scarcely any evidence of wear. Unbumped spine head and tail, with sharp corners. Elaborate crisp gilt-stamped design to the boards. Hubbed spine. A.E.G. Also with marbled pastedowns and FEPS. The text block is firmly bound in. With xxxviii and 698 numbered pages. Charming B&W wood-cut designs throughout, including head-pieces, by Alec Buckels. Two blue ribbon page markers. Tiny green stamp of previous bookseller to the bottom of a blank front FEP. Almost imperceptible age-toning to the pages and very slight waviness near the fore-edge. Near the top of p. 323 there is a tiny blemish, 1/8 inch wide, inherent in the paper; trivial. A Near Fine copy of a very handsome book. 2 lbs. 2 oz. weight. Walter de la Mare [1873-1956] was an English poet, short story writer and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children. Come Hither is an anthology edited by de la Mare, mostly of poems, but with some prose. It has a frame story and can be read on several levels, as the full title suggests. It was first published in 1923 and was a success; further editions have followed. It includes a selection of poems by the leading Georgian poets (from de la Mare's perspective). Alec Buckels was a painter, wood-engraver and book illustrator; he wrote and illustrated his own short stories for children. In 1924 he was elected Associate to the Royal Society of Painters Etchers.