1929 Rare Book - The Gentlest Giant Illustrated by Dugald Stewart Walker

Author: Anna Bird Stewart. Illustrated by Dugald Stewart Walker.
Title: The Gentlest Giant (and Other Pleasant Persons). Poems from the Enchanting Realm of When We Were Little.
Publisher: New York, Robert M. McBride & Company, 1929. 
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8.5 x 6 inches.
Pages: 148 pages.
Binding: Very good, near fine original publisher’s green cloth binding with navy blue pictorial stamping of the giant and child to upper cover and spine (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) with the scarce original illustrated dust jacket printed in red and black on light blue stock, (with small tears and chips - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good, near fine content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown).
Illustrations: Illustrated throughout by Dugald Stewart Walker with delightful full-page black-and-white drawings in his signature intricate style. Illustrations accompany nearly every poem or story, complementing the fantastical tone of the collection. All illustrations are complete and present.

The book: The Gentlest Giant is a poetic journey into childhood wonder, populated with fantastical characters and moments of domestic magic. Originally copyrighted in 1915 and expanded here into a full-length collection, this 1929 first edition presents a thoughtful, humorous, and whimsical guide to the “Estates of Make-Believe.” Anna Bird Stewart writes in verse that both charms and amuses, casting everyday moments—like taking a bath or putting on stockings—into fairy-tale adventures. The book is enriched by Dugald Stewart Walker’s exquisite illustrations, which lend a dreamlike visual companion to the imaginative text. An exceptional example of early 20th-century American children’s literature.

The author: Anna Bird Stewart was a poet and educator whose work focused on imaginative engagement with childhood. She is best remembered for her ability to capture the rhythms of youthful curiosity and turn them into lyrical and humorous verse. Her work reflects both a pedagogical sensitivity and a literary flair, making her books both accessible to children and treasured by adult collectors.

The illustrator: Dugald Stewart Walker (1883–1937) was one of the most celebrated American illustrators of the Golden Age of Illustration. Known for his delicate, highly decorative line work and fantastical compositions, Walker illustrated a number of children’s classics, including Fairy Tales from Hans Christian Andersen and Rainbow Gold. In The Gentlest Giant, his drawings elevate Stewart’s text into a visual fairyland, enhancing the poetic whimsy with fine detail and charm.