There are three of us, of course.
Um, this needs to be amneded to four! But we figured we could share
a page for our favorite choices. Don't let anyone tell you the cats
aren't paying attention.
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There are three of us, of course.
Um, this needs to be amneded to four! But we figured we could share
a page for our favorite choices. Don't let anyone tell you the cats
aren't paying attention.
 Well,
Mom took a whole roll of film of me for the annual postcard contest, and
now the printer's having problems with this fantastic photo! What's
up, printer man? Can't decide who looks better, me or that silly
crow, can you?
Tudor, Tasha. Edgar Allen Crow. Oxford University Press, 1953. First edition of an early and scarce title by Tudor, and in lovely condition with no major flaws. Incredible. NF/NF. <SOLD> |
  In
times of chaos and violence, I say take the time to smell the flowers.
That reminds me of one of my heroes, the non-bullfighting bull, Ferdinand.
A classic peace book, and a timeless treasured children's favorite.
Buy one for every child you know.
Leaf, Munro. The Story of Ferdinand. Illustrated by the incomporable Robert Lawson. Viking, 1936, 1964. New hardback, $17. New paperback, $7  |
  I'm
not a French cat myself (with a name like Kandinsky, ya gotta ask?), so
lucky for me this guide includes American, French and International cats.
I especially enjoyed the humorous drawing of "cat apult" and "platy puss";
"Chat plin" and "gei chat." If you can't picture it, I suppose you'll
just have to buy it.
Sine. The French Cat. Simon & Schuster, 1958, fourth printing. Small 12mo (4" x 4.5"), paperbound. Name in pen on cover. G. <SOLD>
|
  Here's
a handy book: a list of hard-to-spell words arranged in lesson-lists of
25. Some are indeed hard, some deceptively tricky. The lessons
begin with words like loud and urge, and end
with vicissitude and soliloquy (not to mention
avoirdupois).
Includes preface, place names, common French words and archaic P.O. state
abbreviations. Complete with school boy drawings on the rear endpapers.
Penniman, James H. Common Words Difficult to Spell. D.C. Heath, 1891. Writing and soil on cover and endpapers, otherwise VG-. <SOLD> |
  You
Know
Your Onions Lettuce Suppose This Beets 'em All Don't Turnip Your Nose Burma-Shave The old highways used to be covered with these wonderful advertising jingles before the modern interstates shaved down all the signs. Relive the nostalgia, the catchy tunes, and the wonders of innocent salemanship in this history of roadside Burma-Shave advertising. A social history and chronicle of Burma-shave comprise the first part of the book, followed by 49 pages of old jingles, arranged chronologically from 1927-1963. Meow! Rowsome, Frank, Jr. The Verse by the Side of the Road: The Story of the Burma-Shave signs and jingles with all 600 of the roadside rhymes included. Illustrated by Carl Rose. Dutton: 1965. Mass paperback, VG. $10 |
  Guest
Appearance by the Pigeon Babies:Pigeons are cousins of the esteemed Mourning Dove and the fabled Passenger Pigeon. Educate yourself on these noble birds. This is a wonderful and serious book with colored plates and black and white photos, printed on exceptional paper with deckled edges. A quality production. Another note to remember: some movie about Bigfoot sported the conversation: "How do you know Bigfoot exists if you've never seen him?" "Have you ever seen a baby pigeon?" Mershon, W.B. The Passenger Pigeon. NY: The Outing Publishing Company, 1907. Nine plates. Dust jacket has acidic tape mark on spine and has 1" x 2" hole to rear cover. Interior is very good. VG/G. Scarce early work. <SOLD> |
 All
righty then. I am Nikita, and I have a penchant for fine mysteries
and cool history. Here is one that may be both--a history of The
Cleveland Press. It's good local history, and also carries the
mystery of what happened to this great rival paper back in the days when
Cleveland was a two-paper town. Can you imagine, a city the size
of Cleveland, and only one paper? That's not enough to play with
on a Sunday morning, not nearly enough. But here's some archives
to satiate your newspaper cravings.
The Cleveland Press: 1878-1978. A front page from each of the 100 years we have served our readers. Folio sized paperbound book of exactly that. I assume this is published by The Press itself in 1978. VG. <SOLD> |
 It's
very exciting when you get a new sister. We got a new sister!
We haven't been allowed to play with her yet, but we will...oh yes, we
will. She's a mystery to us all, so we've been preparing by reading
this lovely book that has lots of kittens in it. It's about a new
sister. Maybe we'll read it to Nikita when she finally comes out
to play!
Seredy, Kate. Gypsy. Viking Press, June 1963. Fourth printing. Previous owner's stamp on front endpapers and on back pasted endpaper. Wear and fading to covers, head and foot of spine and edges of covers. Smudging to covers and very minor smudging to first few pages of story. Otherwise, clean. VG-. $18 |
 
Isn't it spring yet? I really want to go outside and roll in the
daisies, or dandelions, and play catch with Red Admirals. This book
cover really strikes a nerve. And Jacob is great guy. Read
about his adventures with his human, and you might learn something.
Maybe.
Hartmann, Sven and Thomas Hartner. Jacob: Little Cat Tales.
Barron's, 1974, 1977. Large paperback. VG.
<SOLD>
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  Special
guest visit by our friends here:Here's a sweet tale of kindness remembered and the power of gratitude. Even we big guys need a little help at times, and our big feet are more delicate and tender than they look. Thanks, guys. An early American classic. Daugherty, James. Andy and the Lion. Viking Press, 1938. 1961 printing, library binding. G. <SOLD>
|
  What
better time to be a cat than at Christmas? Lots of cool ribbon to
play with, paper to hide in, boxes and bags, and best of all... Christmas
tree ornaments! Tasha Tudor is at her best with the warm fuzzy fire-warmed
season of Christmas, and her cats positively mew. Here's a nice reprint
of a classic, readily available at last. Complete with gingerbread
cookie recipe in the back.
Hol mes, Efner Tudor. The Christmas Cat. Illustrated by Tasha Tudor. Harper Collins, 1976, reprint edition 2000. New hardback, $15 |
  Aha!
Here's a tale of the first domesticated cat of Ancient Egypt who accidently
falls asleep in a grain bag and wakes up across the desert. His adventures
and new friends (runaway slaves) make great captivating reading,
and the mystery of everyone's identity will keep you riveted. What
a life!
Boshinski, Blanche. Aha and the Jewel of Mystery. Illustrated by Shirley Pulido. Parents Magazine Press, 1968. Octavo, fine condition. $20 |
  Here's
a Danish fable for Thanksgiving: a greedy cat eats the porridge he
was asked to mind, and the little old lady too. He then proceeds
to eat everyone who unfailingly asks, "What have you been eating, my
little cat? You are so fat." At least there's a woodcutter
at the end of the fable, just like in Little Red Riding Hood.
Don't eat too much on Thursday, you hear, now?
Kent, Jack. The Fat Cat: A Danish Folktale. Scholastic, 1971. Paperback. VG. <SOLD>
|
  The
title of this book of ill-behaved children is Push Kitty.
This poor cat had to live through all kinds of costuming and transportation
attrocities. I recommend that you not be as docile and dumb as this
unfortunate creature, who obviously didn't understand the inner voice that
said "run! run! get out of this maniac's way!" However, the
illustrations by Garth Williams are sympathetic to the cat's plight, and
amusing, if one may laugh at another's misfortune.
Wahl, Jan. Push Kitty. Illustrated by Garth Williams. Harper and Row, 1968. Very out-of-print. Ex-library copy, stamps on front free endpaper, otherwise a nice copy. G+/VG-. <SOLD>
|
  Well,
we survived the Anniversary Party, even though I didn't get to be the postcard
cat (what is all the fuss about kittens, anyway? I thought this was
the perfect postcard pix). Horatio felt much the same way, of course.
But he found a friend to make up for it. Yowl with Horatio!
Clymer, Eleanor. Horatio's Birthday. Illustrated by Robert Quackenbush. Atheneum, 1976. First edition, ex-library copy. G+/VG-. <SOLD> |
  When
one cat sleeps, they all sleep. When one decides to pounce, watch
out! This morning, Hedda and Baby K were grooming each other contentedly
until Lydia made a flying leap on top of them, startling them both silly.
When they realized it was just Lydia, they settled a little while Lydia
waltzed forward to get a begrudging kiss from each. My goodness,
what was that commotion all about? Kittens, good gracious.
Newberry's charcoal rendering of cats and kittens are among the best
for cat essence. She knows cats.
|
  Here's
a baby picture of me, ah, what sweet nostalgia. This was taken about
a year ago, and I'm not this small anymore! But nostalgia is sweet,
and it brings to mind such wonderful and wild classics like this Sendak.
Of course you know it, I'm not pretending that this is a "sleeper", but
can you remember when you were a little wild thing? I have the pictures,
you see, to prove that I WAS! That's Baby Max to you!
Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. Harper Collins, 1963. Caldecott Award Winner. New hardback, $17 |
 Baby
K thinks he's the expert on supernatural literature, but his tastes aren't
nearly as refined as mine. You want well-written eerie, spine-tingling
and mind-expanding reading material? Try Virginia Woolf's Haunted
House. Here's a woman who knows how to write. And check
out that awsome dust jacket designed by her sister Vanessa Bell.
Woolf is of course very collectible, and the dust jackets are rare.
So consider this a buyer's coup: a non-first edition (therefore affordable)
with a prized original dust jacket (making it look better than many firsts).
Woolf, Virginia. A Haunted House and Other Short Stories. NY: Harcourt Brace & Co., 1921, 1944. Early American wartime edition with original dust jacket designed by Vanessa Bell. VG+/VG+ <SOLD>
|
  Here's
a good one. Orlando is a famous British cat whose oversized books
from the 40's are wonderfully illustrated and frustratingly out of print.
Bill in the pictured book above looks suspiciously like Dede's dog Kara,
so we had to feature this one. Kara, however, is not as good a shop
dog as we are shop cats, so she's often left at home. Oh, I know
she's good at untying ropes around rugs, but she also yells at the passers-by
and when Dede leaves, man, what a baby...
Hale, Kathleen. Orlando (the Marmalade Cat) Keeps a Dog.
London: Frederick Warne: 1949. 1990 reprint. Large quarto:
10.5" x 14.5" and in excellent condition. F/F <SOLD>
|
  Shirley
Jackson.Jackson, Shirley. We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Viking Press, 1962. Fourth printing. Excellent shape wtih dust jacket. Out-of-print in hardcover. F/F <SOLD> |
  Special
Guest Appearance:McCarthy, Mary. The Stones of Florence. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1959, 1963. Modern trade paperback, VG+, $5. |
 Guard
duty. I wouldn't want Harriett to lose all these precious manuscripts.
I've seen her working on them, cooing to them, treating them like kittens.
Someday they'll be published and just as famous as classics like It's
Like This, Cat and The Silent Meow. Or this
favorite of mine:
|
 It
is I, Baby K from on high... Yes, this is a ten foot ladder, and
the view from up here is amazing. I can keep tabs on everything from
the youngsters ripping pages out of books, to the bookseller assistant
reading what she should be shelving, to the owner yakking on the phone
pretending she can sell her friend a book.... And the book of the
hour? Well, it's lunchtime.
Hewitt, Jean. The New York Times Natural Foods Cookbook. Quadrangle Books, 1971, book club edition. Currently out-of-print. Sure, even cats like to know their food is natural. This cookbook is good because it's not strictly vegetarian, unlike my sissie owner. Although I did notice a page dog-eared (nasty habit) marking the recipe for Logan Bread. Sounds like a piece of marble, and the testimonial reads that it will "sustain a man for a day." Me, I 'm still holding out for Chicken Giblet Stew. Book is in very good condition with dust jacket, VG/VG. $15 |
  Harriett
hides some interesting stuff under that ledge of her desk. Just the
other day, I was taking a nap there (or so Harriett thought), and I found
this cool book. What it was doing hiding in the back of the desk
I daren't ask, but I thought it was pretty cool. I can relate, and
the pictures are right-on expressionistic ink dribblings. A little
on the scary side, though. Maybe that's why it was hiding.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. Illustrated by Ralph Steadman. Harcourt, Brace, 1945, 1973, 1995. First edition thus. 50th Anniversary Edition, with new illustrations by the famous Steadman. As new: F/F. <SOLD> |
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8/4/04
The
Big Book for PEACE