Raymond Sheppard and The Favourite Wonder Book (Part Two)

Favourite Wonder Book title page
(Art opposite is by Reginald Mount)

In my previous blog article about this Odhams title I expressed frustration about editions, dates, endpapers, etc etc. And now I discover that this was justified!

Endpapers (Artist Unknown)

I happened to keep a search alert going on eBay for this book hoping that one day I might find out what went on with its publication and amazingly I have discovered something else that helps me in my search for Raymond Sheppard's work. I showed the illustration to 'Little Trotty Wagtail' in the above mentioned blog and it appears on page 183 in my two copies of the book, one with a reprint date and one with no date.It was only when looking carefully at the title page (above) that one ebayer had uploaded to eBay I noticed that the name P.G. Wodehouse was the first name listed. My copies have A.A.Milne as the first name listed.

I asked the question whether Sheppard had illustrated anything (knowing about the wagtail illustration in mine) and imagine my surprise when they replied about the wagtail and 'Time Signals'

[---]
Five older boys chase and threaten three younger schoolboys

The story is about the "Dipcote First Boat race" and I must confess was a struggle to read, not just because of the dated language and school terminology but because, to be honest, I found it very boring! Here are the other pictures in the story.

Could they regain that extra half length?
Two boats in a race with coxs and a crowd on the river bank

Softly Jimmy crept forward
Two boys sneak into a a sleeping man's bedroom. They both hold alarm clocks

A policeman disentangled the combatants
A policeman pulls a man in pyjamas off a top-hatted gentleman on a cobbled street

And for completeness sake and for other collectors, here are the contents of this 1938 version of Odham's Favourite Wonder Book. There are 768 pages in this edition of the book.

The Favourite Wonder Book

The Favourite Wonder Book published by Odham Press was reprinted many times to my knowledge and later reprints had their reprint dates on the title page but unfortunately that was unusual. The British Library have a copy with an accession date of 1938. I own two copies which are exact reprints - one with no date and the other exact copy but for the cover with the date "Reprinted 1946"

Raymond Sheppard illustrated a short poem called Little Trotty Wagtail by John Clare (the poet born in 1793). It's a humorous poem with staccato sounds mirroring the nervous bird's actions. It's unusual for Sheppard to do this sort of caricatured face on a bird but he was only 25 years of age, if we take the British Library's date.

Favourite Wonder Book Page 183

Little trotty wagtail he went in the rain,
And twittering, tottering sideways he ne'er got straight again,
He stooped to get a worm, and looked up to get a fly,
And then he flew away ere his feathers they were dry.

Little trotty wagtail, he waddled in the mud,
And left his little footmarks, trample where he would.
He waddled in the water-pudge, and waggle went his tail,
And chirrupt up his wings to dry upon the garden rail.

Little trotty wagtail, you nimble all about,
And in the dimpling water-pudge you waddle in and out;
Your home is nigh at hand, and in the warm pig-sty,
So, little Master Wagtail, I'll bid you a good-bye. 

For researchers here are the two contents pages for the book. It can be easily bought on eBay, Abebooks etc and has wonderful colour and black and white illustrations. I have seen copies for sale that are blue, brown, black and burgundy, but also a printed colour illustrative dustjacket and the book with endpapers (which my two do not have). Another example of how hard it is to trace and catalogue these Odham and Blackie & Sons titles!