Nash, Ogden and Reginald Birch (illustrator)

THE BAD PARENT'S GARDEN

      Simon & Schuster, New York 1936 - with an original water color illustration on the second free endpaper depicting a winged child gazing at a crystal ball with a question mark, below the illustration is a charming 6 line manuscript poem by Reginal Birch and signed Love & luck/from your/ancient friend/ Reginald Birch. While Birch illustrated several magazines, his first real success was his illustrations for Little Lord Fauntleroy, he would later illustrate many children's books. The present illustration was drawn when he was 80 years old. 132pp., bound in blue flexible cloth pictorially stamped in gilt, spine lettering gilt, ribbon marker, 3 small spots to upper cover near spine otherwise a very nice copy in like dust jacket with just a tiny bit of chipping to head. Nash, before becoming a parent wrote unpleasant poems about babies. On becoming a father, he changes his tune and began to write charming and witty poetry of children. The present verses are a combination of those written before his child's birth and a few after. [Attributes: First Edition]