MILNE, A.A. | When We were Very Young. London: Methuen, 1924

MILNE, A.A. 

 When We were Very Young. London: Methuen, 1924

8vo. Illustrated by Ernest Shepard. Original gilt pictorial blue cloth; a lovely copy.

First edition and an important presentation copy of the first Pooh book, inscribed by Milne to his wife Daphne: "To the girl we love from her two boys. Nov 2, 1924."

One of her two boys was of course Christopher Robin Milne, the dedicatee of the present work and inspiration for the Christopher Robin of the Pooh books.

The only copy of comparable importance was the dedication copy inscribed to Christopher Milne "Billy's own book / from his loving Blue. / Nov: 1924", which was sold in Sotheby's London, 12 December 2002, lot 463, £45,000. 

"When We Were Very Young is not the work of a poet becoming playful, nor of a lover of children expressing his love, nor of a prose-writer knocking together a few jingles for the little ones, it is the work of a light-verse writer taking his job seriously even though he is taking it into the nursery. It seems that the nursery, more than any other room in the house, likes to be approached seriously." (A.A. Milne, It's Too Late Now, fifth edition, 1943, p.221)

PROVENANCE:

Daphne Milne (presentation from the author).