Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes. POTTER, Beatrix.

First edition. There were two impressions of the first edition, which are identical. The collection comprises eight rhymes, of which Peter Opie remarked "one or two of them are delicious" (Linder, p. 228). When Potter received her first copies of the book, "she was delighted with them and wrote 'I am much pleased. it makes a pretty little book'" (Linder, p. 228). In early 1917, Potter's publishers faced financial ruin after Harold Warne was convicted of forgery. Potter agreed to produce a new Christmas work to aid the company, and suggested this work, the drawings for which were originally set aside with the death of Norman Warne in August 1905. Potter wrote to Fruing Warne that "the old drawings are some of them better than any I could do now" (Taylor, p. 140). The jacket includes The Tale of Mr Tod and The Tale of Pigling Bland as new books in "Series II" on the rear panel. The front flap announces Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes as "an eagerly-awaited event" Quinby 23; Linder, p. 430. Judy Taylor, Beatrix Potter: Artist, Storyteller and Countrywoman, 1996. Sextodecimo. Frontispiece and 14 illustrations in colour, vignette on title page in black and white, all by author. Original green boards, spine and front cover lettered in dark brown, front cover with pictorial label, illustrated endpapers. With glassine dust jacket. Housed in custom green cloth folding box replicating pictorial label on front. Ownership signature of one E. K. Highmore on half-title. Head and foot of spine very slightly bumped; jacket lacking spine and small corner or rear cover: a near-fine copy in a very good jacket.