1925 Rare Book - The Little Green Road to Fairyland by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Author: Annie R. Rentoul and Ida Rentoul Outhwaite.
Title: The Little Green Road to Fairyland.
Publisher: London: A. & C. Black Ltd., 1925. Second Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8.5" X 6".
Pages: viii, 102 pages.
Binding: Very good original publisher's blue cloth binding with the publisher's paper title label mounted on the front board and gilt lettering to the spine. The binding remains attractive and solid, with light rubbing and wear to the extremities, a touch of fading to the spine, and minor handling marks as shown. Housed in a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content. Pages remain clean, bright, and firmly bound with only occasional light foxing and age toning. Contemporary gift inscription dated Christmas 1929 on the half-title page. No loose or missing pages.
Illustrations: Complete with the 8 beautiful full-page colour plates and 8 full-page black-and-white illustrations by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite. Decorative endpapers and numerous charming vignette illustrations throughout.

The book: Rare second edition of one of the most beloved fairy books produced during the Golden Age of children's illustration. First published in September 1922, The Little Green Road to Fairyland combines the enchanting storytelling of Annie R. Rentoul with the magical illustrations of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite to create a dreamlike journey into a hidden fairy world.

Dedicated "To All Who Love Fairies and Have Found The Little Green Road," the story follows young Fairy and her adventures among fairies, brownies, bush creatures, and other delightful inhabitants of an imaginative realm. Blending fantasy, childhood wonder, and Australian folklore, the book became one of the most enduring collaborations between the Rentoul sisters and remains among Outhwaite's most sought-after illustrated works.

Particularly desirable for its luminous colour plates, delicate black-and-white illustrations, and unmistakable fairy imagery, this volume stands as a landmark of early twentieth-century children's publishing and a cornerstone of Australian fairy literature.

The illustrator: Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (1888–1960) was one of Australia's most celebrated illustrators and is widely regarded as the country's foremost fairy artist. Working primarily in pen and ink and watercolour, she created an enchanting visual world populated by fairies, elves, and woodland creatures that captivated generations of readers. Her artistic partnership with her sister Annie R. Rentoul produced a series of beloved fairy books, including The Enchanted Forest, The Little Fairy Sister, Fairyland, and The Little Green Road to Fairyland. Today, her illustrations remain highly collectible and continue to represent the pinnacle of Australian fairy art.