Books

First edition, first impression, second state with the page number "ix" present in the preliminaries, signed by the author on the title page. When We Were Very Young was the first of the Winnie-the-Pooh books, introducing Christopher Robin and Pooh. Milne had no particular ambition to write for children, but in 1922 a glimpse of his two-year-old son Christopher being taught to pray by his nanny inspired him to compose the verse "Vespers," a gently ironic take on the innocence of childhood intended for an adult readership, which was published in Vanity Fair in January 1923. The verse proved popular, and Milne was asked to contribute to The Merry-Go-Round, a new periodical for children. The success of these pieces led him to consider writing further verses for children, and he composed most of When We Were Very Young as entertainment during a dreary holiday in Wales. Many of the poems first ran as weekly installments in Punch, illustrated by fellow contributor E. H. Shepard. When We Were Very Young was first published in Britain to immediate and immense acclaim, and the first printing sold out in one day. By the end of the year more than 53,000 copies had been printed of what The Times called "the greatest children's book since Alice" (Thwaite, p. 286). Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt, front cover with vignette and ruled border in gilt, rear cover with vignette in gilt, top edge gilt. With dust jacket. Housed in a custom red cloth chemise and a red Morocco-backed slipcase. Illustrated throughout by E. H. Shepard. Discreet bookseller's stamp on reverse of front free endpaper. Corners very slightly rubbed, browning to free endpapers; head and foot of jacket spine a little worn with minor nicks, tears to rear panel, neat adhesive tape repairs to reverse, slightly toned, foxing to joint between front panel and front flap, price integral to spine; slipcase a little toned: a near-fine copy in a very good jacket. Payne IA. Ann Thwaite, A. A. Milne: His Life, 1990.

When We Were Very Young is a best-selling book of poetry by A. A. Milne. It is the first volume of verse written for children, for which Milne is most widely known. The book is filled with verses that reflect a playful innocence that has been enjoyed by both young and adult readers.