New Releases by Brian Alderson

One of the most famous children''s books reviewer chooses 100 classics from 400 years.

For her gorgeously illustrated and deeply researched contribution to the prestigious Grolier Hundred series, Chris Loker has assembled one hundred of the best known and most admired children''s books from the English language canon of classics. Organized chronologically, One Hundred Books Famous in Children''s Literature invites readers to follow the development of books written for children and printed between 1650 and 2000--from early forms of instructional primers and devotional readers, to exuberantly entertaining nursery rhymes, fairy tales, children''s novels and works of verse. Also represented are alphabets, folktales, fables, and legends; a touch-and-feel book, a rebus book, a pop-up book, and, of course, picture books. Supplementing the informative essays that accompany each selection are illuminating contributions by five internationally recognized experts in children''s literature: Brian Alderson, Nick Clark, Andrea Immel, Jill Shefrin, and Justin Schiller. This charming and intellectually stimulating volume, accessibly written to appeal to both scholars and the general public, has quickly become the classic checklist for book collectors, scholars, and anyone who loves children''s literature.

"It is not widely known that 2014 marks the centenary of the publication of books in The Ladybird Series by the British commercial printers Wills & Hepworth. From the start of the First World War to the start of the Second they published about 100 cheap and cheerful colour-illustrated children''s books for the popular market, but only in 1940 did they fashion Bunnykins Picnic Party which was to be the first of the Ladybird Books that would come to be recognised and bought by most of the British population. Lorraine Johnson and Brian Alderson trace the history of the Ladybird venture from its wobbly beginning through Wills & Hepworth''s triumphant management of the series up to its sale in 1972, with further chapters on the last decades at the printworks in Loughborough down to 1999. A comprehensive bibliography of books edited under the Wills & Hepworth imprint gives ample evidence of their catering for children at all stages of development, a central element in the millions of books that they sold. The many illustrations, mostly in colour, give convincing support to the reasons for their popularity."--Wheelers.co.nz

Accompanying volumes are facsimiles of three of the earliest extant English nursery rhyme books.

A tiny girl no bigger than a thumb is stolen by a great ugly toad and subsequently has many adventures and makes many animal friends, before finding the perfect mate in a warm and beautiful southern land.

When did someone decide that books might be written and published for child readers? Originating from an exhibition held at the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, this bibliographical study focuses on the child as the audience for books in the English language. The authors show how certain creative talents, driven by a sense of purpose, or a wish to make some money, attempted to appeal directly to children, and how the publishing industry came to realise that this audience might constitute a profitable market. As well as plotting the chronological development of children''s book publishing, the authors also show how publishers adapted their strategies to exploit this new market. Sweetness and light did not prevail everywhere, but even in some of the most forbidding examples presented here there was a commercial optimism that both merriment and wisdom might be happily combined, within the pages of children''s literature.

Annotation. This full-scale bibliography of the works of one the best-loved artists in the English-speaking world, describes Ardizzone''s books, dust jackets, ephemera, periodical contributions, war art, prints, posters and bookplates. It includes an essay "On the Illustration of Books" by Ardizzone himself.

When a humble old farmer plants turnips in his field, one of them grows and grows ... and grows ... and Grows. The king rewards the farmer handsomely for his efforts -- much to the dismay of the arrogant squire who lives across the way. But when the squire attempts to claim a similar reward, will he get more than he bargains for? Brain Alderson''s charming text and Fritz Wegner''s humorous illustrations have yielded a "champion" tale that will delight anyone who''s ever cheered for the underdog.

Journey back to the magic days of sultans and caliphs, and become entranced by a brave young woman named Sheherezade as she weaves one dazzling tale after another, night after night for a thousand and one nights. This classic collection of timeless stories from Arabia, India, and Persia re-creates a fabulous world of sorcerers and sages, as well as ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations. Brian Alderson brings out all the humor, enchantment, suspense, and mystery of these delightful stories. Included in this lively collection are Sheherezade''s most magnificent and beloved stories: "Aladdin," "Sindbad the Sailor," and "All Baba and the Forty Thieves." Remaining faithful to their Eastern origins, the author presents them in a manner ideally suited for reading aloud. Michael Foreman''s one hundred and twenty stunning illustrations and decorations-highlighted with gold ink -- capture all the excitement and magic of the original tales in a sumptuous book you will return to again and again.

This collection attempts to bring humour to familiar fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Illustrations from Helen Oxenbury are included.