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READ**, MISS [pen name DORA JANE SAINT. **]: : HOB and the HORSE-BAT. [Illustrated by Andrew Dodds.]

LONDON.MICHAEL JOSEPH LTD.,1965.

ISBN No ISBN.

UK,small 8vo HB+dw/d,illustrated,1st edn. NFINE/NFINE. No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright crisp,clean,colour pictorial artwork by Andrew Dodds,illustrated front and spine of dw/dj with white-lettered title and author' name; spine/backstrip with similarly coloured+lettered title,author's black-lettered name and publisher's black-lettered name to foot of same,rear panel of dw/dj a lightly edge-aged white background with capitalised,black-lettered title and author's red-lettered name at its top edge with 3 critics' black-lettered reviews below and publisher's red illustrated colophon to lower edge.Negligible shelf-wear to edges and corners some very miniscule nicks to top edge - but no other nicks,tears or splits present. Top+ fore-edges with inevitable and ubiquitous,but slight ageing/toning; contents bright,tight, clean,solid and sound - virtually pristine - with no foxing and no dog-ear reading creasess to any pages' corners,would  appear unread other than my own collation.Publisher's bright,crisp, clean,sharp-cornered,original sandy/orange cloth boards,front board an impressed burgundy oval with a pair of horses' heads in blocked,bright, crisp gilt and blocked capitalised,gilt-lettered title below; spine/backstrip with burgundy blocked hobby horse head illustration at its head,blocked,gilt-lettered title+author name beneath and publisher's capitalised,gilt-lettered name to foot of same,rear board clean, plain and undecorated,and immaculate plain white endpapers.UK,small 8vo HB+dw/d,illustrated,1st edn,7-155pp [paginated],includes 12 chapters each with a b/w line illustrated head-piece, part-page and 1 full-page b/w illustrations by Andrew Dobbs interspersed throughout the text and book; plus [unpaginated] half-title with some minimal off-setting,a thumbnail b/w illutrated title page,a Contents list/table with a dedictaion to its foot and a b/w line illustrated frntis to its reverse,and to the rear,2pp blanks - the reverse of the 4th page with minimal off-setting too.   Visually,the external appearance is more than acceptable,and particularly internally,is in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation for a book of it’s near 60 year-old age and nature, i.e. as a children’s book.It is only the minimal faults described that prevent a slightly higher grading overall.Despite that,it really is still an exemplary example for it’s brightnesss,cleanliness and lack of use or other age-acquired detracting faults commonly encountered in a child's book of this age.        A scarce title,particularly compelte,without ownership name,or a clipped dw/dj,and also in a grade as this is. Making hobby horses,riding them and looking after them have kept the Lydney and Merlin children happy for over a year.When the two families share a holiday house in Devon,of course the horses go too.And a very good thing it is,as it turns out,for a most disconcerting adventure befalls them all,involving a magic creature called a horse-bat.This monster lives in a pool in a gloomy cave and emerges only at night to fly.When Rose drops her doll Josephine into the pool it looks as though she will never recover it.                                      But Hob and his fellow hobby horses also have magic powers in the hours of darkness,and how they challenge the horse-bat and win back Josephine forms the major part of the seaside holiday described in 'Hob and the Horse-bat'.    This is Miss Read's second book for children aged from six to eleven,and is a companion volume to her ever-popular 'Hobby Horse Cottage'. Andrew Dodds (b. 1927). Born Gullane,Scotland,and grew up in Essex.Studied at North East Technical College and School of Art,and at the Central School of arts and Crafts (1947-50). Lecturer at St Martin's School of Art (1950-70),and subsequently Principal Lecturer in the department of Art and Design,Suffolk College.Like a number of graphic artists of the post-war generation, he used the constructional devices of the Euston Road School Artists 9measuring points,direction lines, etc.) mainly for their decorative effect.His illustrations are based on fact rather than fantasy,and are marked by a feeling for well-ordered design.His publisher's include Nelson, Dent, Longmans and Michael Joseph.He also illustrated Miss Read's 'Country Bunch',1963. Please contact the seller,particularly ALL overseas buyers,for correct [insured,or uninsured at own risk] shipping/P+p quotes BEFORE placing your order, especially if ordering any multiples. N.B. ALL buyers please note,stock(s') shipping quotes are adjusted for any refunds AFTER receipt of order and BEFORE the despatch of the order,especially if the item is offered either P+p included/FREE.  ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: US Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. ** 

UK,small 8vo HB+dw/d,illustrated,1st edn.
Not SIGNED.

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