The Small World of Binky Braverman by Rosemary Wells and Richard Egielski. Signed 2003 first edition.

Written by Rosemary Wells. Illustrated by Richard Egielski. Signed first edition, 2003. Viking, published by Penguin Group.

"Stanley T. Braverman opened a very important letter.

"Dear Stanley," it said "Your aunt Fran lived to the age of 105. She left you all her possessions, but you will have to come and get them for yourself."

"So Stanley took the train all the way to Memphis and then walked until he reached a part of town where the houses leaned into the trees and the windows yawned in the sun. He knocked at number 45 Sneath Road. "Anybody there?" called Stanley.

"When nobody answered, Stanley tiptoed in and went upstairs. In a room under the eaves, he discovered a wad of boy's clothes stuffed between the bed slats.

"The pocket of a sailor suit still contained a stick of bubble gum. As the flavor swirled over Stanley's tongue, a forgotten summer flooded back as if sixty-five years was a wink on the smiling face of time.

Front Flap

"Poor Binky Braverman. He should be spending the summer fishing with his friends. Instead, his parents send him to the big city, where Aunt Fran dresses him in itchy clothes and Uncle Julius plans to teach him all about fractions. Things look pretty bleak until the night Binky awakens and finds tiny people stepping off all the boxes and jars in the kitchen. Suddenly, what once had the makings of a miserable summer becomes and adventure Blinky will remember for the rest of his life."

Rosemary Wells' (1943 - ) career writing children's books began after studying at the Boston Museum School and working in publishing, leading to her first book in 1968, A Song to Sing, O!. She has published more 100 books, including the two Max and McDuff series, and has been a vocal advocate for children's literacy. Wells has received many honors for her work, including the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the National Book Award, and the Charlotte Zolotow Award.

Richard Egielski (1952 - ) has illustrated more than 50 children's picture books. A Parsons School of Design alumnus, Egielski honed his craft under the tutelage of Maurice Sendak. Egielski and author Arthur Yorinks created nine picture books, including the Caldecott Medal-winning "Hey, Al". Egielski illustrated the beloved Tub People series by Pam Conrad, and his book "Buz" was selected by the New York Times' top ten best children's books of 1995.

Etsy.com/shop/TheCharmedBookshop
Visit TheCharmedBookshop.com for more books for children and collectors

Condition: Fine/Very Good. Dust jacket: Mild wear along the upper and lower edges. Illustrated cover boards. Pages are clean, undamaged, and complete. Signed by author on title page.