1973 Big Golden Book: The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, nicely illustrated by Rod Ruth.
Written by Beatrix Potter. Illustrated by Rod Ruth. 1973 fifth printing. Golden Press. Western Publishing Company, Inc.
"Once upon a time there were four little rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter. They lived with their mother in a sandbank, underneath the root of a very big fir tree.
"Now, my dears," said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, "you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden. Your father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor. Now run along, and don't get into mischief."
Which is exactly what Peter Rabbit does, of course, and like his father, he runs smack into farmer McGregor. In his own garden! Thankfully, he escapes his father's fate, but gets the fright of his life and a tummy ache. When Peter finally arrives home, alas, without his new blue jacket, which now dresses farmer McGregor's scarecrow, he goes immediately to bed and Mrs. Rabbit gives him a dose of chamomile tea.
Illustrator Rod Ruth's (1912 - 1987) charming watercolors are crisp and descriptive but reveal a comic sensibility developed as an illustrator of comic strips, such as The Toodles, a long-running syndicated strip, and numerous comic books and magazines.
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Condition*: Very Good. Lacks dust jacket as issued. Cover: Slight wear on the lower edges from normal shelf wear; corners slightly bumped; small smudge on back cover. Inside: Pages are clean, undamaged, and complete.
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