My Friend Mr. Leakey [First Edition in Dust Wrapper]

New York and London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1938. Stated First Edition at copyright; 1938 at title page. The original Harper first edition in rare wrapper. Green full-cloth boards, silver spine titles, moderate shelf wear. Pages very good; some fox to exterior text block, front and back few pages. Antiquarian children's inscription pencilled at front endpaper: "from Josephine Gaughan Carmody to Mary Margaret, November 6, 1938". Bind fine; hinges intact. Illustrated with the whimsically magical imagery of Leonard. H. Rosomon. Rare original dust wrapper, moderate edge wear, rub, toning, discoloration; unclipped 1.75, protected in new clear sleeve. Front panel feature classic '30's design in hues of brown, pink, and yellow and image of Leakey in chair with attendant jinn, dragon and mysterious surroundings. Front flap features summary of this book; back panel features summary for "The Spider's Palace" by Richard Hughes illustrated by George Charlton. Very good first edition in near very good wrapper. Chapter headings: I. Rats; II. The Snake with the Golden Tooth; III. A Meal with a Magician; IV. A Day in the Life of a Magician; V. Mr. Leakey's Party; and, VI. My Magic Collar Stud. Mr. Leakey is that unusual person, a real magician. He is served in his London flat by a remarkable group: Pompey, a small dragon who lives in the fireplace; Oliver, an octopus, who serves the meals deftly from the ceiling; and, Leopold, a swindler whom kind Mr. Leakey transformed into a lovely beetle so the police couldn't find him. These tales about Mr. Leakey and his wonderful trip to far-distant lands are indeed full of excitement and humor. There is also an extremely interesting account of how young Charles Smith rid the London docks of rats, and a colorful story about Jacinto, a snake who had to have have gold teeth. The author of this delightful children's book is the brilliant scientist who wrote "Possible Worlds" and "Science and Human Life". Mr. Leakey is a wizard, or a magician, a practical one. He can become invisible when he wants, has a magic carpet for travelling, and a small dragon who can grill fish by spitting fire. He's also very good at bewitching things! There are three stories concerning the Mr Leakey and his high adventures. Three additional stories round out the collection. A veiled, and humorous, set of children's stories. John Burdon Sanderson Haldane (1892-1964) was a Fellow of The Royal Society as an English scientist. He is known for his work in the study of physiology, genetics, evolutionary biology, and mathematics, where he made innovative contributions to biostatistics. The only children's book written by Haldane, the prominent geneticist is credited with coining the term clone. He was the son of the equally famous John Scott Haldane and a professed socialist, Marxist, atheist, and humanist whose political dissent led him to leave England in 1956 and live in India, becoming an Indian citizen in 1961. Very uncommon original illustrated edition of the British scientist's only children's book. This first edition contains a mention of his Communist Party affiliation excised from later editions. Printed in the United States of America. 179 pages. Insured post.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by Rosomon, L. H.. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" Tall.