The Jungle Book

London: Macmillan and Co., 1894 Illustrated by John Lockwood Kipling, William Henry Drake, and Paul Frenzeny. First edition, first printing. Publisher's blue boards, spines lettered in gilt, pictorial jungle images based on artwork by the author's father John Lockwood Kipling stamped to the front boards in gilt, all edges gilt, green coated endpapers. Near fine, with a touch of toning to spine, light rubbing to spine ends, lightly bumped bottom right corner of front board, front free endpaper cleanly and discreetly reattached, ownership inscription to half-title page, a hint of dampstaining to bottom margin of title page, and very light spotting to some pages at front and rear of book. Overall, a bright and sturdy copy. The Jungle Book is a collection of short stories and verses, the most famous of which relate to the feral child protagonist Mowgli, a "man cub." While they can be read independently of each other, each chapter serves as a fable using animal figures to provide a moral lesson. In each volume, the short stories are both preceded and followed by poems or songs, including the notable "Mowgli's Song" and "The Law of the Jungle." The Jungle Books, based on the author's childhood and later work experience in British India, are indicative of Western Orientalist ideology at the turn of the 20th century, which is somewhat softened by Kipling's fondness for his former home. Both Jungle Books are illustrated by the author's father, John Lockwood Kipling, who was a practicing illustrator and art professor in Bombay.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good.