Ruth Marie Baldwin

The author collects chapbooks. "Since in the early years books seemed scarce and money more so, I collected anything available to me that was a children's book in English before 1900, and I learned to prefer an inscribed copy definitely read and used by children." She now has ~35,000, and has reproduced 100 of them in this volume.

I share her awe at the endless quantity and variety of children's books which one century produced. This selection is of nineteenth century alphabets, rhyming and otherwise.

"V Virgin Mary.
The Virgin in a manger low,
Gave birth to Christ the King.
'Peace on earth, good will to men'
The angels loud did sing." [177]… (more)