TODD, Barbara Euphan; Will NICKLESS [Illus.] ~ Worzel Gummidge Takes a Holiday

FIRST UK PRINTING. Hollis & Carter, London: 1949

8vo., pale blue cloth lettered in navy to backstrip; housed in the wonderful pictorial dustwrapper by Nickless replicating the coloured frontis; a further four full-page captioned illustrations throughout text; THE BOOK a very good copy, slightly rubbed to edges and bruised at spine tips; front free endpaper offset, with previous owner's inscription in blue biro; the very good DUSTWRAPPER creased along folds with chips to head and foot of spine as well as ends of folds; a couple of short closed tears; 6 x 3cm patch of abrasion to rear panel leading to loss of top layer of wrapper, affecting some lettering. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First edition, first printing. Todd is best remembered today for the ten children's novels she wrote about her protagonist Worzel Gummidge, a scarecrow who comes to life on Scatterbrook farm and who befriends John and Susan, children who come to stay during the school holidays. The present story was the fifth in the series, and sees the title character getting up to his usual mischief with friends Earthy Mangold and Hannah Harrow. Antics include attempts at flying which come crashing back down to earth, and a swarm of bees who invade the living room of Mrs Bloomsbury-Barton. In the 1970s, the books were famously adapted for television by Keith Waterhouse, starring Jon Pertwee as Worzel and Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good
JACKET: Very Good