Masquerade - Kit Williams - First Edition Children's Books, Kids Books, England, Treasure Hunt, Jewel of Masquerade, Jack Hare, Sun, Moon

Masquerade, first published in the UK in 1979, was a nationwide phenom that set off a treasure hunt for the jeweled hare author Kit Williams buried to delight his young readers.

Written and illustrated by Kit Williams. 1981, stated first American edition, sixth printing. Schocken Books, publisher.

Masquerade is one of my favorite children's books and I snatch it up whenever I find one. This is a sixth printing but I want to make it easy for someone to find this fun, imaginative treasure.

Only a wonderful story, and beautiful artwork, could send thousands of children and adults chasing rabbits across the county, a chase that went on for two years and helped sell over a million books.

"Once upon a perfect night, unclouded and still, there came the face of a pale and beautiful lady. The tresses of her hair reached out to make the constellations, and the dewy vapors of her gown fell soft upon the land.

This lady, whom all mortals call the Moon, danced a merry dance in the pathless sky, for she had fallen in love, and the object of her devotion was the Sun. Although all happiness was in her dance, there was also a little sadness, for whenever the dance led her into the same part of the sky as the sun, she seemed to simply fade away, and feared the Sun might never notice her.

The Sun, for his part, and contrary to his appearance, was always sad. The thing he wished for most was a friend...

On this night the lady of the pale complexion resolved to make herself known to the Sun by sending him a token of her affection. To this end...she plucked from the sea of clouds a most brilliant rose-coloured moonstone. Next, with a little gold taken from the dawn sky, she cunningly wrought a splendrous jewel that was the perfect mirror of her love..."

Kit Williams was shocked when his beautiful and beguiling picture book set off a nationwide treasure hunt for the "the Jewel of Masquerade", a golden hare inset with semi-precious stones. In the story, the Moon enlists Jack Hare to deliver the jewel as a gift to her beloved, the Sun, but Jack looses it on the journey.

News stories at the time reported people digging holes in yards across Great Britain in search of the bejeweled hare. It even involved minor scandal.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/8448139/Masquerade-a-treasure-hunt-that-ended-in-a-scandal.html

Kit Williams also wrote The Bee On The Comb, Pebbles From The Brook, Bobbing For Apples. We currently have The Bee On The Comb.

Next time you're in England you may want to look for at least one of his fabulous clocks on display at these locations: Regent Arcade shopping center, Cheltenham; Telford Shopping Center; Central Milton Keynes Shopping Center.

http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/kit-williams-switch-iconic-bubble-51092

Visit TheCharmedBookshop.com for more first edition children's books.

Condition*: Very Good/Good. The dust jacket is price-clipped and shows minor shelf wear. The cover boards are slightly faded along the top edge. Please note that this is a sixth printing and priced accordingly.

*Based on guidelines from the Independent Online Booksellers' Association.