Michael Hague's Favourite Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales. [Illus by Michael Hague.**]

UK.slim Qrto HB+dw/dj,1st edn. [First published in Great Britain in 1981,by Methuen Children's Books Ltd.,1981.(LONDON) by arrangement with HOLT, RINEHART and WINSTON,NEW YORK. Specially edited text for this edition.Book printed in the USA.] FINE/FINE. No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj. Bright,crisp,clean,glossy,wrap-around cream background with colour pictorial illustrated front panel leaving a cream border to dw/dj,with white lettered full title,spine/backstrip with black-lettered full title+ publisher name,and the rear panel with a circular colour illustration repeated from frntispiece.Negligible shelf-wear,bumping,creasing to edges and corners - no nicks,tears or splits present.Minimal,superficial, light scoring/indents to dw/dj panels - but without any penetration to boards beneath.Top+fore-edges bright, crisp and clean without foxing/spotting; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corner tips,appears unread other than my own collation.Publisher's bright, crisp,clean,sharp-cornered,original plain RAF blue cloth boards with a bright,crisp,blocked silver gilt single-line bordered,central vertical rectangular panel with bright,crisp,blocked silver gilt lettered full title within,spine/backstrip with repeated blocked silver gilt lettered title and publisher's name,rear board plain and undecorated,a dark blue+white chequered headband and immaculate plain,pale blue endpapers. UK,slim Qrto HB+dw/dj,1st edn,1-162pp [paginated] includes 9 colour illustrated fairy tales,23 full-page,full-colour illustrations and a circular colour frntis - all by Michael Hague - interspersed throughout the text and the book,colour vignette illustrated half-title with repeated frntis circular colour illustration to its reverse, a title page; plus [unpaginated] half-title,title page,and Contents list/table with a full-page,full colour illustration to its verso. Stories/tales include: The Snow Queen, The Wild Swans, Thumbelina, The Elfin Hill, Little Ida's Flowers, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Match Girl,The Ugly Duckling and The Little Mermaid. Visually the exterior appearance is exceptional,and particularly internally,the book is also in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation for a book of its age and nature, i.e. a child's book.It really is an exceptional,exemplary example for its cleanliness, brightness,entirety and lack of detracting faults. Following the extraordinary success of his newly illustrated editin of 'The Wind in the Willows',artist Michael Hague now offers an equally stunning array of full colour paintings to infuse new life into his favourite Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales. Michael Hague chose these nine tales for their quality as stories."I did not choose these tales for their visual images,as might be expected of an illustrator," he said."Rather,I have selected each one because it means something special to me.They are my old friends. Paintings rolled off my drawing board in an effortless fashion.It was if I had been preparing them since childhood.It is my hope that these paintings are worthy of the stories themselves,and that they will entice children and grown-ups to read them.If they do,I believe they will find,as I have,that imagining and believing are the only forms of magic left in the world." Michael Hague,American artist,born Los Angeles,1948. A foremost American illustrator,primarily of children's fantasy books.Early influences include turn-of-the-century illustrators Arthur Rackham, N. C. Wyeth,and Howard Pyle.He has established an international reputation as an illustrator of children's classics, notably the 'Wind in the Willows' (1980).Among the other books he has illustrated are classics such as 'The Wizard of Oz', 'The Hobbit' and the stories of Hans Christian Andersen.Known for the intricate and realistic detail he brings to his work,and the rich colours he uses in his illustrations and paintings. Please contact seller,because of the lighter weight of this item,for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **