With the newly-designed dust wrapper artwork

Jansson, Tove ~ Comet in Moominland

Second UK Printing : Ernest Benn Limited, London : 1959

8vo., navy-blue boards lettered in gilt to backstrip; with Moomin device in gilt to upper board; complete in the original vibrant wrapper showing the Moomins fleeing a fiery comet; illustrated throughout with designs by the author. The BOOK is a near-Fine copy, with some very light pencil erasure to the front end-paper upper edge (barely discernible). THE WRAPPER is clean and exceptionally bright and in Very Good++ or better condition. With only minimal rubbing and shelf wear; a faint diagonal crease to the lower edge of the upper panel. No fading of colouring to the spine. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. Second UK edition with the newly-designed dust jacket artwork, which is completely different to the first issue wrapper artwork. The first UK edition was issued in 1951 (though erroneously, this edition's printing details page states that the first impression was issued in 1957) . The second book in Jansson’s series of Moomin books, following The Moomins and the Great Flood, which originally appeared in Swedish in 1945. Written during the final years of the Second World War, both works focus on the theme of natural disasters, with the present book describing the impending arrival of an earth-shattering comet. Some critics have claimed that this focus on destruction was influenced by atomic weaponry, written as it was in the early summer of 1945, mere months before the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The story was the first to feature the appearance of several main characters which would later dominate Jansson’s narratives, including 'Snufkin' and the 'Snork Maiden'. Rare in such collectible condition.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Very Good++