Children's classics?

I built up a nice childrens library 30 to 40 years ago for my kids. While not fine press, they are durable and have held up, and are easy for children to handle and read. The books I chose second hand were well taken care of, and I ensured they had dust jackets (which I then put in mylar). Look for these editions to see if they suit your goal. Putting links into some of my books in these series:

Illustrated Junior Library
https://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?tag=Illustrated+Junior+Library&view...

Thrushwood
https://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?tag=Thrushwood&view=sdawson

Everyman Children's Library
https://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?tag=Everyman+Childrens+Library&view...

That last series did not come with dust jackets and I picke them up new when they came out. Nevertheless they are nice productions with classic illustrations.

There is the LEC Evergreen Tales series of fifteen books, published in 5 groups of 3, and many options for fairy tales. Folio Society has stuff like E. Nesbit, Anne of Green Gables, Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, Frances Hodgson Burnett, George MacDonald, Arthur Ransome and many others.

Conversation Tree Press Peter Pan; Heritage Press Lewis Carroll books, Folio Society Wind in the Willows, Easton Press Winnie-the-Pooh books (nice set)

Thornwillow’s Charlotte’s Web, Reading Room Press The Hunting of the Snark.

Muttons & Nuts did a lovely Velveteen Rabbit. Slightly Foxed has a more expansive set of Rosemary Sutcliff than Folio does.

I'd highly recommend Hand and Eye's fine press edition of The Wind in the Willows. It looks like they only have a very few copies left, though I'm amazed it hasn't sold out already.

>7 Levin40: The Limited Editions Club edition of The Wind in The Willows is highly recommended too. Designed by Bruce Rogers and illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Priced accordingly but it IS possible to find an affordable copy. I did it!

>8 Lukas1990: Seconding this. Keep an eye out for this one at auction. I was able to grab one in great condition for a very reasonable price, and it is beautiful.

The Hand & Eye edition is also worth checking out as another post mentioned above. The b&w line illustrations, while occasionally varying somewhat in quality (a select few feel rushed IMO), are plentiful and a great fit for the story. Very impressive overall.

The LEC and H&E WitW are two very different treatments of the same book so there is room for both in your collection (if you love the story.)

>9 Nightcrawl: "The Hand & Eye edition is also worth checking out as another post mentioned above. The b&w line illustrations, while occasionally varying somewhat in quality (a select few feel rushed IMO), are plentiful and a great fit for the story. Very impressive overall."

Also a welcome example where the "standard" (or whatever they call the lower state) is in my opinion superior to the deluxe. The full cloth gray binding is more in keeping with the tone of the story than the cheerless black leather of the deluxe, and the simplicity of the black and white illustrations appeals to me over the hand-colored in the higher state.

(The paper might still be somewhat better in the deluxe; I forget.)

>10 abysswalker: Could not agree more. The grey cloth/yellow paper binding is far more appropriate than the two higher states. And I may be mistaken/confusing it with another book, but I think the illustrator said she herself preferred the illustrations in b&w, which is how they were intended to be presented.

I'm just finding out that there is no fine press copy of Anne of Green Gables. Folio has an edition, and there is a publisher Sanage Publishing House that has an expensive edition, but I cannot find any details about it. I do have the annotated version, but it isn't really a reader. That seems a real shame for such a popular book in the public domain.

>12 Cardboard_killer:
Litjoy did a very nice, if not fine, edition

>13 wcarter: Thank you. The Litjoys are not my cup of tea. I will probably get the FS copy in the end, which does hit all my must have check off boxes, but it is such a dear book for me, I wouldn't mind spending bigger bucks on a fine edition. Someone take my money! ;)

>12 Cardboard_killer: Granted, it was 4 years ago, but Century Press has said they would likely do Anne of Green Gables at some point. Wouldn't hurt to reach out to them and encourage them to do so.

>6 ambyrglow: A common refrain with reference to many editions is “I can’t believe it’s not sold out” but ‘Velveteen Rabbit’ has to be a textbook example of this sentiment. It’s an exceptional edition, beautifully produced using 100% cotton paper, original artwork, very low limitation etc. all for a relatively modest outlay. I can’t recall the enabler on this forum but I’m forever grateful.

>7 Levin40: Heartily agree - for similar reasons to my above post. A truly charming edition.

>18 newbiecollector4: Slightly Foxed is probably better compared to Everyman's Library, if you're familiar with them. The books are clothbound, have sewn bindings, and use acid-free paper, but the design is very simple (though I find it attractive) and most of their books are not illustrated (though five of the Sutcliff volumes preserve the original black and white Keepings and Hodges illustrations). They're pleasing to read and hold, but their goal is durable craft, not art.

If your goal is to collect Sutcliff, you might also look at the two titles available from Manderley Press (The Armorer's House and Sun Horse Moon Horse), although they're only quarterbound in cloth and I find the paper they use for their cover bindings to be prone to scuffing. Again, sewn bindings and acid-free interior paper.