1948 Rare Edition with Dust jacket - Round Fairyland with Alice by Lindsay Cable

Author: Brenda Girvin. Illustrated by W. Lindsay Cable.
Title: Round Fairyland with Alice.
Publisher: Redhill, Surrey, Wells Gardner, Darton & Co., Ltd., 1948 (First thus published in this series). First illustrated edition by William Lindsay Cable.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5 x 5 inches.
Pages: vii, 186 pages.
Binding: Very good original red cloth binding (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) with gilt lettering to spine, in the original illustrated dust jacket. The very good jacket bright and attractive, with light wear and small chips to extremities, not price-clipped under a protective removable mylar cover. A very pleasing copy, uncommon in the original dust jacket.
Content: Very good content. Clean and well-preserved internally, with only light signs of age - as shown. A solid and attractive copy.
Illustrations: Illustrated throughout by W. Lindsay Cable with charming black-and-white line drawings, alongside striking decorative endpapers printed in red.

Estimate: (USD 250 – 300)

The book: A delightful mid-20th century excursion into the imaginative landscapes of British fairy lore, Round Fairyland with Alice follows its young heroine—clearly inspired by Lewis Carroll’s immortal Alice—through a series of encounters with pixies, goblins, and other creatures of folklore drawn from the traditions of Great Britain and Ireland.

The narrative blends gentle fantasy with a sense of folkloric curiosity, introducing readers to a wide array of mythical beings while maintaining a continuous, story-driven journey. W. Lindsay Cable’s illustrations complement the text beautifully, capturing both whimsy and atmosphere with elegant economy of line. Particularly striking are the decorative endpapers, which evoke a more stylized, almost modernist interpretation of fairyland imagery.

Copies retaining the original illustrated dust jacket are notably scarce, especially in such well-preserved condition, making this an increasingly desirable example of post-war British children’s fantasy publishing.

The author: Brenda Girvin was a British author of children’s literature whose works often drew upon traditional folklore and fairy tales. Writing in the mid-20th century, she contributed to the revival and reinterpretation of earlier storytelling traditions for a new generation of readers.

The illustrator: William Lindsay Cable (31 March 1900 – 12 April 1949) was a Scottish artist and book illustrator. He illustrated Enid Blyton's books in 1940 and 1942, and worked for the Ministry of Information. He also worked for a number of years for Punch magazine.