A Child’s Garden of Verses is a book written by Robert Louis Stevenson – it is here accompanied by the splendid illustrations of Jessie Willcox Smith. Stevenson (1850 – 1894), was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer, most famous for penning Treasure Island, and the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His A Child’s Garden of Verses is a collection of poetry, which first appeared in 1885, under the title of Penny Whistles. It contains about 65 poems including the cherished classics ‘Foreign Children’, ‘The Lamplighter’, ‘The Land of Counterpane’, ‘Bed in Summer’, ‘My Shadow’ and ‘The Swing’.Jessie Willcox Smith (1863 – 1935) was one of the most prominent female illustrators in the United States during the Golden Age of American Illustration. She was also a prolific contributor to literary novels and magazines during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Most notable was her ongoing relationship with Good Housekeeping, including the long-running ‘Mother Goose’ series. Smith’s style changed drastically through her life. In the beginning of her career she used dark lined borders to delineate brightly coloured objects, and in later works she masterfully softened lines and colours – until they almost disappeared. Presented alongside the text, her illustrations bring further joy to Robert Louis Stevenson’s poetry.Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s literature – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration. We publish rare and vintage Golden Age illustrated books, in high-quality colour editions, so that the masterful artwork and story-telling can continue to delight both young and old.
