The Roly-Poly Pudding by Beatrix Potter – First Edition, Second Printing, 1908

An original early edition of Beatrix Potter's The Roly-Poly Pudding, published by Frederick Warne & Co., London and New York, in 1908.

This is the first edition, second printing (December 1908). It is identified by the 1908 date on the title page with the words “All rights reserved” omitted. The first printing, issued in October 1908, included those words. The second printing comprised 5,500 copies.

This is the original larger-format version of the story, which was later retitled The Tale of Samuel Whiskers.

Original publisher's red cloth binding with bevelled boards, decorative lettering and mounted colour illustration of Samuel Whiskers to the front. Illustrated throughout by Beatrix Potter, including the pictorial title page, colour frontispiece, full-page colour illustrations and numerous black-and-white drawings.

Condition: A good, complete-looking antique copy with age-related wear. The original red cloth boards show rubbing and wear, particularly to the corners and spine ends, with some fading/marking consistent with age. There is some separation/weakness at the front inner hinge, visible in the photographs, although the book remains together. Pages show some age toning and occasional marks. There is also a small handwritten previous-owner notation towards the rear. Please study all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the condition description.

A particularly attractive early Beatrix Potter book and a genuine 1908 first-edition issue, published only two months after the first printing.

I have 19 other early Beatrix Potter books also listed, various titles and years, including a 1911 first edition Tale of Timmy Tiptoes, a 1918 first edition and first printing of The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse, a 1909 first edition of Ginger & Pickles, and a 1904 first edition The Tale of Two Bad Mice with Red Boards. I have also listed some advertisements for the Peter Rabbit bookshelf with various designs.