Violet Books

The Cat and the Mouse: A Book of Persian Fairy Tales (Philadelphia: Henry Altemus, 1906) is edited with an introduction by Hartwell James and includes forty illustrations by John R. Neill. The title story is the real winner of the collection, a long tale of the war between the mice and the cats, the mice being the winners, with illustrations reminiscent of Persian miniatures.

The Mouse Miller and Other Stories by Cooke Don-Carlos (Boston: Davis & Bond, 1917) is a collection of largely original, literary fairy tales settings, with a color binding signed "W.B.B." Most of the tales are original literary fairy stories with such Germanic settings as the Hartz Mountains or the streets of Coblentz, though "A Daughter of the Stars" is founded on a Native American star legend, and a version of Goldilocks is taken from William Morris.

Virna Sheard's The Golden Apple Tree (New York: The James A. McCann Co., 1920) has an an ornate decorative binding signed merely "C," though the beautifull black & white interior illustration plates in an old-fashioned art nouveau style are by Norman Price. These mostly original literary fairy tales are populated by traditonal inhabitants of fairyland, with a sophistication that makes the stories interesting for adult readers too.

Mrs. Musgrave's Victorian fairy tale In Cloudland (London: Blackie & Son, 1891?) sports a floral binding and has a frontispiece depicting the protagonists Noel and Bundles chatting with an eagle. Through most of the story the little boy & girl are accompanied by a large spider as their chief guide in Cloudland, which the children are able to visit in their shared dreams.

Mrs. W. J. Hays' The Adventures of Prince Lazybones and Other Stories consists of four young-adult, literary fairy tales, a follow-up to Mrs. Hays earlier Princess Idleways. There are more than two-dozen fine illustrations by several artists. This handsome edition was issued by New York/London: Harper & Brothers, 1904 but the first edition was in 1884.

Alice Brown was one of the leading authors of New England regional tales of the Victorian era. In the new century, when most regionalists were considered passe, Alice had a second career as modern novelist and as playwrite. Among her plays is this lovely fairy tale, The Golden Ball, intended to be performed by children. It was compared in its day to J. M. Barrie and Maurice Maeterlinck for its combination of delicate fantasy and a level of sophistication to interest parents as well as children.

Jane Penzer Myers' Stories of Enchantment; or, The Ghost Flower Chicago: McClurg, 1901) is more than just another fairy tale collection. One of my favorite books, a nearly unknown collection of fantasies, ghost stories and weird tales, ostensibly a children's book but much, much more. "The Corn Fairy" is a first rate child-ghost story. "Bran, the Wolf Dog" is about a medieval woman werewolf, a stunning tragedy since Bran, the hound set to hunt down the terrible she-wolf, knows who it really is. Every story surprises, and the black and white illustrations by Harriet Roosevelt Richards, are comparable to the best art nouveau works of the era.

An attractive wraparound dustwrapper graces Carol Cassidy Cole's Downy Wing and Sharp Ears: Adventures of a Little Boy among little wild friends in Nature's Wonderland (Chicago: Goldsmith, 1928). This chain of fantasy shorts is not quite the Thornton Burgess sort of thing because the animals don't wear pants. But they all speak and form a woodland community Burgess-style. In the opening scene Eric, who has the secret ability to speak with animals, saves a captured goose whose fate was to be eaten by the boys' family. A really charming book with excellent illustrations throughout by M. Sankey

John Kendrick Bangs' In Camp with a Tin Soldier (New York: R. H. Russell & Son, 1892) is a satiric fantasy sfeaturing Bangs' series character Jimmieboy, and a supporting cast including the titular animated tin soldier, a beautiful fairy godmother, giants so big Jimmyboy can sit in one hand. There are six interior illustration plates by E. M. Ashe.

Clifton Johnson wrote travel books and fairy tales, including The Brave Tin Soldier: Bedtime Wonder Tales (New York: Cupples & Leon, 1919). As as is the case with the majority of the best fairy tale collections, these are literary inventions for the young, not merely retold tales.

Louisa May Alcott's first book was Flower Fables (1855) seen here in a Henry Altemus edition of 1898, with art nouveau binding. This edition also features many, many engravings by at least two artists, especially by C. Barnes. All the stories are about garden fairies and personified flowers, rippling streams, and breezes.

Everett Merill Hill's The Story the Crocus Told (Spokane, Washington: Uplook Publ.,; Chicago, Illinois: Lakeside, 1909) is seen here in its exquisit art nouveau binding with white and gold crocuses on olive cloth. Limited to 1000 copies, and having a frontis portrait of Everett, the stories consist of a completely over the top series of philosophical discourses with a sentient crocus.