Rare extra-illustrated one of about 30 copies. A particularly fine copy, one of relatively few with the extra illustration at the front, initialled by John Lawrence. The story of the plight of some rabbits and their habitat, it was initially rejected by all the major publishing houses but when Collins finally did so, over 100,000 copies sold in the first year. The author was awarded both the Carnegie Medal from the Library Association and the Guardian Children's Fiction Award. The eponymous animated film, released in 1978 and directed by Martin Rosen, featured the voices of John Hurt, Richard Briers, Harry Andrews, Simon Cadell, Nigel Hawthorne, and Roy Kinnear, amongst others. The theme song, Bright Eyes, sung by Art Garfunkel, became a U. K. number one hit. In 1999 and again in 2018 it was made into a television series.


First illustrated edition, one of 250 numbered copies signed by author and illustrator, of which this is number 16, with additional illustration to first upper fly-leaf, initialled by the illustrator; royal 8vo.; with colour illustrations and black and white vignettes throughout by John Lawrence; handsomely bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe in full green morocco, gilt block of rabbits to upper cover, decorative devices to spine panels gilt, marbled endpapers and all edges gilt, slight age-toning to spin, otherwise fine, original marbled slip-case, slightly age-toned, in all, a beautiful deluxe copy of a twentieth century children's classic.