Martin Waddell — Farmer Duck

London, Walker Books, 1991 . First edition. Cloth. A signed presentation copy of the first edition of this award winning children's book. Inscribed by illustrator Helen Oxenbury to publisher Tom Maschler. The first edition, first impression of this delightful children's tale, in the publisher's original price unclipped dust wrapper.With the inscription to the colophon 'for star Tom and Regina with love from Helen, 21.11.91' to the colophon, and Tom Maschler's bookplate beneath this. Maschler was a noted publisher who headed Jonathan Cape for over three decades. During his career he helped to publish and discover works by Ernest Hemingway, Gabriel Garcia Marques, Ian McEwan, Salman Rushdie, Joseph Heller, John Lennon, and many other influential authors. He was also a one of the key figures in the creation of the Booker Prize in 1969. Regina was his second wife, whom he married in 1988.'Farmer Duck' was winner of the British Illustrated Children's Book of the Year, while for her illustrations Oxenbury was a highly commended runner-up for the annual Greenaway Medal. In the publisher's original pictorial cloth binding, with price unclipped dust wrapper. Bumping to spine tail, otherwise fine. Dust wrapper exceptionally bright. Internally, firmly bound. Inscription and bookplate to colophon, with pages otherwise clean and bright. Fine . Ill.: Helen Oxenbury. Fine/Fine.