Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

[NEWBERY, John (publisher). A Little Pretty Pocket Book Intended for the Instruction and Amusement of Little Master Tommy and Pretty Miss Polly with two letters from Jack the Giant Killer… to which is added A Little Song-Book. London: John Newbery, circa 1770.] 32mo (98 x 62mm.) 54 woodcut illustrations in the text with later hand-colouring to accompany verses related to children's games and pastimes, with 'A Letter From Jack the Giant Killer to Pretty Miss Polly', with 'Fables' and 'A Poetical Description of the Four Seasons' to the rear. (Lacking title-page and all leaves before B1, and all after F1, browning, some corner loss to first leaves.) Later wrappers (endpapers replaced). Note: scarce. Contains the first mention of the sport 'base-ball'. The text begins on p.17 and runs to p.82, lacking at least eight leaves at the front and four leaves to the rear (if it is the 1770 edition), lacking six leaves to rear if it is the 1760 edition. The first edition was published in 1744 but no copies of any editions before 1760 have surfaced. It was John Newbery's first children's book and its special status is in its new approach of attempting to instruct and amuse children in a way that would lead to the 'invention' of childhood as an distinct phase of development in the 19th century. If children were no longer considered as having been born innately sinful, then moral behaviour had to be learnt. To this end, John Newbery published the book with a promotional tie-in. It was sold with the option of buying either a ball for a boy or a pin-cushion for a girl and - as a marker in the art of moral behaviour- the child would push a pin into the ball or cushion on having accomplished, or felt they had accomplished, a moral act.