Books

First edition, first impression, second state with the page number ix present in the preliminaries, of the first Winnie-the-Pooh book. Many of the poems first ran as weekly instalments in Punch, charmingly illustrated by fellow contributor E. H. Shepard. The book was published in London on 6 November 1924 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. The Times called it "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, corner vignette in gilt on rear cover, top edge gilt. With dust jacket. Illustrated throughout by E. H. Shepard. Spine faintly toned, faint mark to rear board, offsetting to endpapers, glue residue to foot of front pastedown and free endpaper; foxed jacket unclipped, small chips to spine ends, affecting a couple of letters, spine uncommonly bright, nicks and a couple of short tears edges: a very good copy in like 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.