1914 First Edition - The Butterfly Babies Book Illustrated by M. T. (Penny) Ross
Author: Elizabeth Gordon. Illustrated by M. T. (Penny) Ross.
Title: The Butterfly Babies’ Book.
Publisher: Chicago and New York, Rand McNally & Company, 1914. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 9 x 6 inches.
Pages: 80 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good original pictorial boards with a delightful full-colour butterfly illustration to the upper cover, cloth backstrip, and illustrated rear board (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. A charming and iconic early twentieth-century children’s binding.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown, bookplate to front pastedown - as shown).
Illustrations: Profusely illustrated in colour throughout by Penny Ross, each illustration depicting imaginative anthropomorphic “butterfly children” inspired by real butterfly species — a whimsical fusion of natural history and fantasy, typical of the golden age of illustrated children’s books.
Estimate: (USD $250 to $300).
The book: Part natural history primer, part imaginative verse-album, The Butterfly Babies’ Book introduces young readers to the world of butterflies through playful rhyming texts and delightful personified illustrations. Each butterfly child is associated with a specific species, named and described in charming poetic character sketches. The final pages invite the child-owner to record their own butterfly sightings — a lovely period touch reflecting the early twentieth-century enthusiasm for nature study.
The author: Elizabeth Gordon (c.1866–1922) was a prolific American writer of children’s books and nature-themed verse, whose works often combined gentle pedagogy with imaginative anthropomorphic storytelling. Her books remain cherished today for their warmth, charm, and distinctive illustrative collaborations.
The illustrator: M. T. (“Penny”) Ross brings Gordon’s poetic vignettes to life with vibrant colour plates rich in decorative detail and character expression. Her illustrations capture both the delicacy of butterfly wings and the playful spirit of childhood — making the book a delightful artefact of early twentieth-century American picture-book art.