The King of Christmas. [illus by Lara Hawthorne.]

UK,small square,5.1/2" X 5.1/2" HB+dw/dj,illustrated,1st edn. [Complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2.] FINE/VG+.No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright,clean, sharp-cornered,matt,wrap-around white background with colour pictorial artwork by Lara Hawthorne, illustrated dw/dj with bright crisp,blocked gilt-lettered title,author's brown-lettered name and illustartor's black-lettered name to front panel of dw/dj,brown lettered title+author and publisher's name to white background of spine/backstrip,rear panel of dw/dj with colour pictorial illustration.Negligible shelf-wear to bottom edges,a tiny snick to front lower edge, rear top edge with an approx. 1cm closed tear with resulting oblique angled fold/crease from the foot of the tear,upwards to the top edge and the top,rear corner,with some wrinkling to same - no other nicks, tears or splits present and all corner tips intact.Top+ fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight, clean,solid and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' orner tips - unread other than my own collation.Publisher's bright,crisp,unblemished, sharp-cornered,original plain maroon cloth boards with no lettering or decoration to boards or to spine/backstrip and immaculate plain pale slate grey pastedowns.UK,small square,5.1/2" x 5.1/2" HB+dw/dj,1st edn,44pp [unpaginated - includes free endpapers] plus colour illustrated recto of front free endpaper with publisher's advert for authors other published titles to its verso,title page with publishing details to its verso,a dedication with blank verso,colour illustrated title separator page with beginning verse to its verso,11 single page,3 double-page colour illustration on matt,stiffer paper pages,by Lara Hawthorne with accompanying verse.Illustrated last page has colour thumbnail illustrations of author's other published,Christmas-related book titles to its verso.See my book ID rja585415 for UK,HB+dw/dj,1st edn of her title 'Mrs Scrooge.'
Visually the exterior appearance is acceptable,and particularly internally,the book is in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation. It is only the exterior faults described that prevents a slightly higher grading pertaining to the dw/dj.Despite that,it really is still an acceptable example for its cleanliness and brightness.
It is a frosty winter evening, and the Baron, watching the snow fall through the window, is bored and fretful. It will soon be Christmas, and yet the household is subdued. Even the dogs are dozing. What can he do to cheer up the family and bring excitement into the manor? He is at a loss - until his wife, the Baroness, has an idea: he can appoint a Lord of Misrule; a peasant to be in charge of Christmas revelries. For twelve days, chaotic merriment ensues - schools are closed, wives drink in taverns, priests are dressed in petticoats, monkeys sit at the head of the table and general festive bacchanalia fills the manor - all culminating in a giant, happy feast on Christmas Day. When the Baron decides to appoint a Lord of Misrule for Christmas, making a peasant into a King for twelve days, unruly jollity ensues. Inspired by that medieval tradition,Carol Ann Duffy's warm and enchanting new poem takes us into a topsy-turvy world of festivity,feasting and mischievous Christmas fun.
Dame Carol Ann Duffy DBE FRSL HonFBA HonFRSE is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, resigning in 2019.[ Wiki.]
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