Prior to 1973, the annuals depicted a brown faced Rupert as drawn by Alfred Bestall. In 1973 after printing only a few of the 'brown faced' covers the publishers suddenly decided to change the cover to show Rupert with a white face. This change was made without the prior knowledge of the illustrator.
Reports suggest the
copy now up for auction was given to a collector of Rupert books by Alfred
Bestal himself.After recounting the story of how the
white-faced cover came about and how he had refused ever to supply the
publishers with artwork again, Bestall got this copy down from a shelf and
signed it for his guest, commenting as he did, that he had signed no other
copy.
This copy is coming up for sale on
the 30th May with an estimate of £18,000 - £22,000 further details here.
Regular readers of my blog may remember a post from November 2011 (here) where I mentioned spending years trying to
find a copy of the Jack and Jill all colour gift book. It’s a lovely book with
stories about Tom Puss by Marten Toonder, Spot the dog by Enid Blyton and a
Dandino the dream man story by Peggy Fulton. There are also several poems about
Little Boy Joe by Barbara C. Freeman.
Since
writing the previous post I’ve received lots of
emails from customers asking me to find them a copy. Last week, I finally found
one! That’s how scarce it is! Sadly, as
is often the case with this particular book the spine is defective; in fact,
the spine covering is completely missing. Because of the damage and because I’ve
had so many requests, I’ve decided the fairest option is to list it on eBay
with a starting price of £10 (the amount I paid for it), you can view the
listing here
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Further information here
Little Boy Joe from the Jack and Jill All Colour Gift Book
There came an old woman to live in the wood, near Timothy, Thomas and Little Boy Joe.
She'd a long-handled broom and an angry black cat, "and people" said Thomas, "who only have that are certainly up to no good... Oh no! I think we've a witch in the wood!"
"Fiddlesticks!" Joe said, "It's all a mistake. Fiddlesticks!" Joe said, "I'll ask her to tea.
If she's only a broom and an angry black cat she must be pretty lonely - but I'll see to that, I'll take her an apple and cake, Oh yes! You've certainly made a mistake."
Joe knocked at the door with a one, two and three, and there stood the old woman, wrinkled and grey.
And there stood the cat, wild and black as the night, but little Joe bowed, very stiff and polite, and said, "will you come out to tea? Please do!" So they sat in the wood and had tea.
"Now I'll tell you a story," the old woman said. "Such a kind-hearted pigling deserves a reward."
So she told them a tale while the little cat purred on her knee and Joe listened with never a word. Till the summer stars winked overhead, and then, "May I bring all the others?" Joe said.
But the old woman answered "Suppose it should rain" Or to-morrow a thunder cloud break on the wood?
I've a roof and a cat, but I haven't a chain, or a tea-pot or table - my cottage is bare" But Joe said, "I'll come back again, Oh yes! We'll all come prepared for the rain."
They brought her a table, a chair and a mat, a pair of blue curtains, a rug for the floor. They brought her a stool and a plate for the cat, and a shiny brass knocker to hand on the door. "And the rain didn't rain, and the snow didn't snow, but we had a fine story," said Little Boy Joe. Barbara C. Freeman
"Fiddlesticks!" Joe said, "It's all a mistake. Fiddlesticks!" Joe said, "I'll ask her to tea.
If she's only a broom and an angry black cat she must be pretty lonely - but I'll see to that, I'll take her an apple and cake, Oh yes! You've certainly made a mistake."
Joe knocked at the door with a one, two and three, and there stood the old woman, wrinkled and grey.
And there stood the cat, wild and black as the night, but little Joe bowed, very stiff and polite, and said, "will you come out to tea? Please do!" So they sat in the wood and had tea.
"Now I'll tell you a story," the old woman said. "Such a kind-hearted pigling deserves a reward."
So she told them a tale while the little cat purred on her knee and Joe listened with never a word. Till the summer stars winked overhead, and then, "May I bring all the others?" Joe said.
But the old woman answered "Suppose it should rain" Or to-morrow a thunder cloud break on the wood?
I've a roof and a cat, but I haven't a chain, or a tea-pot or table - my cottage is bare" But Joe said, "I'll come back again, Oh yes! We'll all come prepared for the rain."
They brought her a table, a chair and a mat, a pair of blue curtains, a rug for the floor. They brought her a stool and a plate for the cat, and a shiny brass knocker to hand on the door. "And the rain didn't rain, and the snow didn't snow, but we had a fine story," said Little Boy Joe. Barbara C. Freeman
Thanks for your visit!
