[Manuscript] The Adventures of Little Jack Rabbit, [together with] a specification letter by author and note from publisher relating thereto; Based on nature and the actual habis of the Jack Rabbit. Scenes and surroundings are those under which the Jack Rabbit actually lives. Not a nature fake but a true to life story

El Comancho [pseudonym for W. S. Phillips]

Edité par Seattle

A propos de cet article

A lovely mock-up manuscript of a chidren's story, with many original watercolored drawings, and generally several takes on each drawing. N.d., circa 1920. Oblong quarto, 35 by 28 cm, 14 by 11 inches. Unpaginated, 118 ff. Phillips was a published author who wrote several successful children's books about the West, including "Indian Tales for Little Folks". It is unknown why this particular manuscript was never published, given how far he got in the process. (It would seem doubtful that the concerns related to copyright, since the story is easily distinguishable from Peter Rabbit, from which the author expressly did draw inspiration, and which he explicitly cites as a template in his "specifications". The most significant difference is in this story's ambition to depict the animals more realistically and as true animals, not animals dressed in human clothes. Indeed, this conceit would set this story apart from most anthropomorphic juvenile literature of the day. In this story, the young rabbit, defying his mother's warning about coyotes, ventures out into the sagebrush and has close calls with not just a coyote but also an eagle, meets several other burrowing animals and has to escape from an irrigation ditch as he desperately seeks to find his way home. Effortlessly the author educates us in the process about the lifestyle of Jack Rabbits. The drawings are mounted on heavy stock and interleaved with pages of tracing paper and a light weight paper upon which variants of the drawings are rendered. Throughout are maginal notes covering details of the book's production, in addition to the letter of instructions. Heavy foxing on some leaves. A half-title or cover sheet somewhat chewed up. The binder is loose by the front joint, and the title label on the front board is heavily rubbed.

N° de réf. du vendeur 002422

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: [Manuscript] The Adventures of Little Jack Rabbit, [together with] a specification letter by author and note from publisher relating thereto; Based on nature and the actual habis of the Jack Rabbit. Scenes and surroundings are those under which the Jack Rabbit actually lives. Not a nature fake but a true to life story
• Éditeur: Seattle
• Reliure: Cloth
• État de l'article: Very Good
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • Children's Literature
  • Color Plate Books
  • Manuscripts