A wonderful example of this book, in an edition thought to run to two hundred & seventy-five copies; the tissue guards have kept the illustrations fresh and bright, whilst the binding is an unusual variant being in vellum rather than boards.

Nicholson had been working with Heinemann since the mid-1890s. As well as designing their windmill device, Nicholson created a number of books for Heinemann, including London Types (1898) and The Square Book of Animals (1899). Kipling's short verses here complement the illustrations perfectly, though he opted out of collaborating on Nicholson's Square Book of Animals, complaining in a letter to the publishers 'All Nicholson's animals are practically extinct in Great Britain, their places being supplied by New Zealand Lamb; Argentine Beef... The only way I tried it, my verses became so deeply political (not to say protectionist) that I stopped.'

First (Library) edition, one of 275 copies(?); 4to; printed on Japanese vellum, publisher's colour lithographed device to title, 12 full-page colour lithographed illustrations by Nicholson with captions, tissue guards, monogram bookplate to front pastedown; publisher's variant binding vellum-backed pictorial vellum boards, a little spotted and toned, slightly splayed.