Tuesday 30 April 2013

Alison Uttley and Little Grey Rabbit; Week Three

I'm sorry if you are all bored with looking at these, but I wanted to include them while I had the full set. These are the final eleven books in the series. You can see the first twenty in two previous posts here and hereSome of my favourite Little Grey Rabbit books are in this selection. Can you guess which ones they are?

No. 21 Little Grey Rabbit's Paint-Box. First published in 1958, this copy a first thus edition published in 1970.  Hare found a sketch book filled with pictures and took it home to show Grey Rabbit. Then Wise Owl gave Grey rabbit a paint box and soon the animals were painting pictures for themselves.



No. 22 Grey Rabbit finds a shoe. First published in 1960, this copy a reprint published in 1962. Little Grey Rabbit finds a shoe in the meadow near her woodland home.  A tiny red shoe that would only fit an elf or a fairy...

No.23 Grey Rabbit and the circus. This a 1st edition published in 1961. One morning Squirrel, Hare and Little Grey Rabbit see what looks like a striped toadstool in their field. On closer inspection, they realise it's a stripy tent - the circus has arrived!

No. 24 Grey Rabbit's May Day. This a 1st edition published in 1963. Little Grey Rabbit is busy preparing for May Day, there's going to be a procession, songs and dancing around the May Tree.


No. 25 Hare goes shopping. This a 1st edition published in 1965. Moldy Warp tells Hare about a bright red, roaring, snorting kind of house on wheels (a red bus) and now Hare wants to go for a ride.  

No. 26 Little Grey Rabbit's pancake day. This a 1st edition published in 1967. Hare finds an old frying pan and Grey Rabbit, Squirrel and Hare decided to give a pancake party.  When all the pancakes are finished Hare finds another use for the pan…


No. 27 Little Grey Rabbit goes to the North Pole. This a 1st edition published in 1970. Hare has always wanted to visit the North Pole, and so he persuades Little Grey Rabbit and Squirrel to join him on a Polar expedition.
No. 28 Fuzzypeg's brother. This a 1st edition published in 1971. There is great excitement in the Hedgehog family at the arrival of Little Urchin, and Fuzzypeg is very proud of his new baby brother.  Mr Hedgehog makes him a hammock of rushes as a day-bed, and Little Grey Rabbit and all her friends come to visit the new baby..... Scarce and pretty Little Grey Rabbit book. 

No. 29 Little Grey Rabbit's spring-cleaning party. This a 1st edition published in 1972. When Grey Rabbit discovers a cobweb in the corner of her neat little house, she decides its time to do some spring cleaning. She enlists the help of Squirrel and Hare, but they soon receive some surprises when they discover various creatures have made their homes in unexpected places. Tommy Dormouse is hiding up the chimney; there is a bat behind a picture, a ladybird behind the curtain and daddy-long-legs on the ceiling.

No. 30 Little Grey Rabbit and the snow-baby. This a 1st edition published in 1973. It’s Christmas time, and the ground is covered in deep drifts of snow. Little Grey Rabbit and her friends decide to make a snow-rabbit, and as a finishing touch Hare finds a big snowball for the snow-rabbit to hold in its paws. Suddenly, out of the snowball tumbles a tiny white rabbit....  Super copy of very scarce Little Grey Rabbit book.

No. 31 Hare and the rainbow. This is a 1st edition published in 1975. Have you ever wondered what's at the end of the rainbow? Well wonder no more; join Little Grey Rabbit and her friends as they journey to rainbows end.


Two illustrators were involved in the making of these little books. Margaret Tempest illustrated the first 26 books and Katherine Wigglesworth the last 5.

My favourites? The ones illustrated by Katherine Wigglesworth.  Do you have a favourite?

Friday 26 April 2013

Once upon a time; Postcards from my collection

I wasn't intending to publish this post until next week, but then I received a lovely comment from my sweet friend Claudine at Carry us of books.  Claudine mentioned she was looking forward to seeing more postcards – so for Claudine and everyone else who enjoys them ...


Once Upon a Time

The Little Gossips

The Party Dress

Ragged-Robin the wayfarer

Dance of the Woodland Babies

A Fairy Picture
I mentioned last week that I would be selling my Rene Cloke collection, and yes these are by Rene Cloke, but they are part of my postcard collection and therefore, not for sale  (that’s my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!) These were all published by Valentine & Sons in the 1950s and 1960s. Further Rene Cloke postcards in a previous post here

Next week books 21 to 31 of The Little Grey Rabbit Series by Alison Uttley. View the first 20 books in the series here and here


I hope you all have a lovely weekend.


Tuesday 23 April 2013

A Miscellany of bookish bits and pieces

I've been thinking of selling my Rene Cloke collection and have finally decided the time has come. There are around 300 books plus ceramics, original artwork and other bits and bobs in the collection. Some of the books are early 1st editions others are more recent publications by Award. I will be listing everything on eBay over the coming months, but if you are interested in the collection as a whole or would like further information, please contact me by via the email button in the right-hand column. Alternatively, leave a comment with an email address, and I will get back to you.  




I’ve been interviewed by Three Hoodies! OK, not strictly true, but I have been interviewed by Roger Lawrence; the author of Three Hoodies Save the World and Kongomato. Roger came up with some excellent questions. See my replies at Three Hoodies Save The World here

Kongomato -  After three right wing thugs break into a museum to steal a diamond, they inadvertently release a ten million-year-old monster which proceeds to create havoc in London. As if the Prime Minster doesn't have enough to cope with, he cannot even tell the general public about this threat. With only days before "friendly powers" take the matter into their own hands, only one man can resolve the crisis: a drunken, jobless scientist forcibly assisted by someone he hates and cannot trust.

If you enjoy a good horror story, you should read Kongomato. Roger creates a terror filled yet thoroughly entertaining read. I loved it and can’t wait for the next instalment.



Update July 2016: March House books closed on my retirement in 2015, but I do still blog here at March of Time Books and always appreciate your visit. 

Sunday 21 April 2013

The Bath Vintage & Antiques Market

Today was our second visit to this fabulous undercover fair held at Green Park Station. Books were in fairly short supply but all the other good things more than made up for it.

Hats off to the organisers!

Delicious drinks and snacks

Fabulous goodies

The Must-Dash dance troupe preparing to put on a show 

Sorting out the music

Let's Rock!

The market really is a treasure trove; vintage fashion, soft furnishings, kitchenalia, leather luggage and vintage knick-knacks are all here.

How cute are these?

My favourite 'photo of the day

Thanks for letting me use these Sarah!  Sarah Corbett Illustration website

Scarves for just £1.00...now that's tempting...

but not quite as tempting as this pretty brooch 
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of an impulse buy! 

Thursday 18 April 2013

Question: What do Edmund Dulac and Sindbad the Sailor have in Common?

Answer; this book!

The deluxe presentation of Dulac's illustrations to Sindbad the Sailor and Other Stories from The Arabian Nights (1914) published by Hodder & Stoughton. 23 wonderful colour illustrations mounted as tipped-in plates within ornamental black-and gold-stamped borders.

Sindbad The Sailor entertains Sindbad the Landsman

The episode of the Rokh

Sindbad the Sailor and the old man of the sea

Aladdin and the Efrite

The nuptial dance of Aladdin and the Lady Bedr-el-Budur

The Lady Bedr-el-Budur at her bath

The story of the three calenders; The porter and the ladies

The Prince meets a noble lady in the underground palace

The Prince is taken back to the Golden Palace by magic black horse

Tales appearing within Sindbad the Sailor and Other Stories from The Arabian Nights include: Sindbad the Sailor; Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp; The Story of the Three Calenders; and The Sleeper Awakened.

This edition of Sindbad the Sailor is now sold, thank you for your interest.


Born in France, Edmund Dulac began his career by studying law at the University of Toulouse. He also studied art, switching to it full time after winning prizes at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. He spent a very brief period at the Academie Julian in Paris in 1904 before moving to London.
In London, he was commissioned by the publisher J. M. Dent to illustrate Jane Eyre. He then began an association with Hodder & Stoughton who used his illustrations in several deluxe editions, publishing one a year. During World War I, he contributed to relief books, including King Albert’s Book (1914), Princess Mary’s Gift Book and, unusually, his own Edmund Dulac's Picture-Book for the French Red Cross (1915). Hodder and Stoughton also published The Dreamer of Dreams (1915) a work composed by the then Queen of Romania.
After the war, the deluxe edition illustrated book became a rarity and Dulac's career in this field was over. His last such books were Edmund Dulac's Fairy Book (1916), the Tanglewood Tales (1918) and The Kingdom of the Pearl (1920). His career continued in other areas, including newspaper caricatures, theatre costume and set design and portraiture. He continued to produce books until his death on the 25th May, 1953. Further reading Wikipedia

I love the grandeur and opulence of Dulac’s illustrations but what about you – love them or hate them or somewhere in between?

Sunday 14 April 2013

Take ten more...Little Grey Rabbit books

Continuing on from last week; the next 10 books in the Little Grey Rabbit Series. I hope this will prove to be a useful resource for anyone interested in collecting the complete set.


No. 11 Little Grey Rabbit's Birthday first published December 1944, this copy a reprint published in 1965. Little Grey Rabbit's birthday is on Midsummer Day. Squirrel and Hare are planning a wonderful surprise for her. They are busy baking a cake and getting ready for the big day, but Little Grey Rabbit is feeling very left out.... 
No. 12 The speckledy hen first published December 1945, this copy a reprint published in 1961. One morning in spring, when the primroses and cowslips were flowering in the fields, and the violets were blue under the hedge the Speckledy Hen took a walk. She was looking for a house for herself. She wanted to leave the farmyard with all its noisy company and live alone. Where she found her house, how she moved in and what she did there is all in this sweet little book.
No. 13 Little Grey Rabbit to the rescue - a play. First published in 1945, this copy a reprint published in 1970. Squirrel, Hare, Hedgehog, Weasel and little Grey Rabbit appear in this enchanting play written in verse.

No. 14 Little Grey Rabbit and the weasels. First published September 1947, this copy a reprint published in 1965.  Down in the dell in a dark little house lived a family of weasels. One day they stole eggs from Speckledy Hen, and the next day captured Little Grey Rabbit. Is little Grey Rabbit rescued? Read this delightful story to find out.

No. 15 Grey Rabbit and the wandering hedgehog. First published October 1948, this copy a reprint published in 1967. One day when Little Grey Rabbit was out for a walk, she saw a tiny spire of blue smoke twisting from the hedge. She could hear a rattle of sticks, and the chink of a tin can. It was a ragged little fellow, known as Brush the Hedgehog. His adventure with Little Grey Rabbit and how he came by a beautiful coat are described in this book.
No. 16 Little Grey Rabbit makes lace. First published October 1950, this copy a reprint published in 1965.When Hare saw an old woman sitting outside her door making pillow-lace he took lessons and then showed Grey Rabbit how to do it. A tale based on lace-making in Buckinghamshire.
No. 17 Hare and the Easter Eggs. First published September 1952, this copy a reprint published in 1965. It's March, and Hare is feeling as mad as only a March Hare can so off he dashes into the village to see what he can find. He pays a visit to Mrs. Bunting's shop where there are untold delights, jars of sweets, dolls, and wooden horses, but best of all, eggs made of chocolate with sugar flowers and ribbons. Hare decides to surprise his friends on Easter morning. 
No. 18 Little Grey Rabbit's Valentine. First published September 1953, this copy a reprint published in 1962. Squirrel, Hare and Little Grey Rabbit compose special rhymes for each of their friends. Robin the Postman has a busy time delivering them all on Valentine’s Day.

No. 19 Little Grey Rabbit goes to the sea. First published September 1954, this copy a reprint published in 1965. Wise Owl's advice to his friends is "You'll get rid of your sneezes when you feel the sea breezes," so Little Grey Rabbit, Squirrel, Hare and Wise Owl go off to the sea in a gypsy caravan.

No. 20 Hare and Guy Fawkes. First published September 1956, this copy a reprint published in 1967. It was November, and the north wind blew fiercely. It caught hold of the trees and shook them until the leaves fell in showers of gold and red. Hare was making a bonfire, but nobody knew why until Wise Owl began to hoot - Too-whit, too-who whatever you do, remember, remember, the Fifth of November.


Last weeks post featuring the first ten books in the series here