presentation copy

Presentation copy, inscribed by the author in blue ink to the front free endpaper: 'For the Jeffrey children, with best wishes from Mary Norton.'

Norton won the 1952 Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising The Borrowers as the year's outstanding children's book by a British author. For the 70th anniversary of the Medal in 2007, it was named one of the top 10 winning works, selected by a panel to compose the ballot for a public election of the all-time favourite.

First edition, first impression, inscribed by the author; 8vo (205 x 150 mm); frontispiece and illustrations by Diana Stanley, unmarked internally; publisher's light blue cloth, red lettering to spine, design in red to spine and upper cover, slight discolouration to cloth, illustrated endpapers, with the unclipped pictorial dustjacket, rear panel a little marked, spine ends and corners chipped with loss, a couple of short closed tears to extremities with associated creasing, else very good.