A Book for Kids.

Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1921.

Quarto, colour frontispiece and title, numerous illustrations in the text; original decorated boards, cloth spine.

Scarce first edition: the only children's book from the pen of iconic poet and Aussie larrikin C. J. Dennis.

Scarce first edition: the only children's book from the pen of iconic poet and Aussie larrikin C. J. Dennis.
This is an interesting association copy inscribed by the publisher George Robertson to Captain Arthur W. Jose. Loosely tipped in is a doggerel note from "P.R." (possibly the author P.R. Stephensen) thanking the owner for loaning the book, and lamenting the difficulty of earning a quid by writing rhymes for children.
A Book for Kids comprises playful verse and rhyme with two short stories, respectively titled 'The Little Red House' and 'The Boy Who Rode into the Sunset'. It is a fresh and sometimes eccentric production, enhanced by the author's simple yet confident line drawings. The striking cover illustration was also created by Dennis.
'C.J. Dennis' one lasting contribution to children's literature was A Book for Kids, which, with its entertaining prose, rollicking verse and the author's own naïve but charming drawings, had enjoyed constant popularity ever since its first appearance in 1921' (McVitty, Authors and Illustrators of Australian Children's Books p. 57).
The two short stories offer an innovative contrast to the literary conventions of the time, and appeal directly to the imagination of younger readers. Of 'The Boy Who Rode into the Sunset' Saxby writes 'Dennis avoids the error of trying to moralize or teach a lesson from nature, and captures the imaginative feeling of a child caught up in the clouds and absorbed into the sunset'.

Muir, 2010; Saxby 'A History of Australian Children's Literature', p.178.

Condition Report: Hinges repaired; some wear to boards, including scuffing at edges of front board, a few marks, but in good condition for this title.

Ref: #3712430

Condition Report