A.A. Milne
London: Methuen & Co., 1927. First Edition, First Impression
A finely bound first edition of Milne’s much-loved collection of children’s verse, the third in the immortal Winnie-the-Pooh series.
Finely bound in full crimson morocco, with an exquisite gilt onlay to the upper cover depicting Christopher Robin at play, blocked in gold. The spine tooled in full gilt with floral motifs and lettering, five raised bands, hand-sewn silk headbands, and richly gilt turn-ins. Endpapers of hand-marbled paper in vibrant red, blue, yellow, and ochre. All edges gilt. A superb bespoke binding marrying elegance with the spirit of childhood.
The text illustrated throughout with Ernest H. Shepard’s delicate line drawings, whose collaboration with Milne gave life to Christopher Robin, Pooh, Piglet, and their circle in a way inseparable from the words themselves.
First published in October 1927, Now We Are Six followed When We Were Very Young (1924) and Winnie-the-Pooh (1926). The print run was comparatively small, at just 50 large-paper copies signed by Milne and Shepard, alongside a first trade edition of approximately 50,000 copies - a fraction of the numbers achieved by later children’s publishing phenomena. As such, true first editions in fine condition are increasingly scarce,
The book cemented Milne’s place as the preeminent children’s writer of his age. Its poems - whimsical, lyrical, and infused with a child’s-eye view of the world - enchanted readers on publication and have never been out of print. Together with Shepard’s illustrations, Now We Are Six forms a cornerstone of twentieth-century children’s literature and an essential component of the Pooh canon, a series whose cultural impact has been profound and enduring.
A beautiful example of this milestone in children’s literature, elevated by a binding of the highest craftsmanship.
