Ginger and Pickles - 1909

New York: Frederick Warne & Co, 1909. First American edition. Original pale green boards stamped in darker green on front cover and spine. Color pictorial label on front cover within a rectangular blind panel with scalloped bottom edge. Color pictorial endpapers. Small quarto (7 x 5 7/16 inches; 178 x 137 mm.). 51, [1]. Color frontispiece (included in pagination) and nine full-page color illustrations. Black and white vignette on title-page and nineteen black and white vignettes in text. Minimal darkening to spine, still a near fine copy. "Beatrix Potter, writer of some of the most beloved children's books of all time, was a woman of immense talent, indefatigable spirit, and a generous heart...Although she grew up in London, she was deeply influenced by long family holidays in the countryside, first in Scotland and later in the English lake district. As was the custom in families of her class, she was educated at home by governesses. An eager student of languages and literature, she grew up loving classic folk and fairy tales...Her talent for drawing and painting was discovered early and encouraged" (Beatrix Potter Society). Her career began with the release of the now-beloved Tale of Peter Rabbit; and her subsequent works expanded into a magical world of anthropomorphic animals such as Tom Kitten, Squirrel Nutkin, and Benjamin Bunny. Quinby 17a.