Hendrik Willem van Loon — Around the World with the Alphabet

New York, Simon and Schuster, 1935 . First edition. Hardback. A beautiful example of the first edition of Hendrik Willem van Loon's children's alphabet, aiming to educate the young about the cities of the world. Illustrated throughout in colour by the author. The first edition, first impression of this work. In the publisher's very scarce original dust wrapper, price clipped. The work of Dutch-American historian, journalist, and children's book author Hendrik Willem van Loon. Illustrated for the author and initially created to educate his grandson, the work is structured as an ABC in which every letter represents a different location around the world. In his introduction, he writes about how the work came to be: 'it was the spring of the year 1935 and the whole world seemed to have gone completely and absolutely crazy&apos. While the preface instructs his grandson 'not to be read until 1943', he did not know that the war wouldn't conclude until 1945. Inscription to front free endpaper. Illustrated throughout in colour by the author. In the publisher's original pictorial paper covered boards, with dust wrapper, clipped to rear flyleaf. Bump to back strip head, otherwise externally excellent. Inscription to front free endpaper. Dust wrapper front wrap detached from back strip, but present. Significant chipping to dust wrapper back strip head and tail, and to perimeters of wraps, with small closed tears to wrap perimeters. Internally, firmly bound. Pages clean and bright. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: Hendrik Willem van Loon. Very Good Indeed/Good Only.