is by Beatrix Potter for "The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck" (1908). Here, the suave & wily fox (not Gaspard!), escorts the waddlesome Jemima. Potter had an unerring gift of applying just the right characteristics to each animal. Anthropomorphic perfection.

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breaks my rule - but I can't ignore an important day like this: My own "Gaspard Best in Show" is published today! Huge thanks to my partner-in-print, author and publisher . Here's a climactic moment, involves costumes & éclairs!

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is by Harry G Theaker, for "Children's Stories from the Arabian Nights" (Rose Yeatman Woolf; undated. Circa 1920). Theaker was a prolific and appealing illustrator of affordable collections of fairy tales/children's stories. Here's "The Magic Horse".

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is by Margaret Bloy Graham for "Harry the Dirty Dog" by Gene Zion (1956). Deceptively simple, hugely expressive, charming, funny illustrations bring this tale to unforgettable life. The retro/vintage vibe has been much imitated but never matched.

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is by John Burningham, for "Harquin, the Fox who went down to the valley" (1967). Here's the end papers. As always, gloriously inventive & boldly different. A story of a fox who out foxes the fox hunters... Probably hard to publish today.

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"Waiting for the Wind to Change" - it's blue sky and sunshine at the moment - multi-layered of with

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'Woeful ending of a precocious piggy'. Victorian children's porcine literature.

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is by Anne Wilson for "Masha and the Firebird" (Margaret Bateson-Hill, 1999). Something suitably fiery for this hot weather... These vibrant paintings bring a richness to this unusual Firebird story, weaving in the four elements and Baba Yaga...

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is by Peter Firmin for "The Saga of Noggin the Nog" (1992) by Oliver Postgate, after the popular TV series. Here's a scene from "The Ice Dragon". Firmin re-illustrated these much loved tales in full colour, for this sumptuous edition.

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Four entries for a 2018 book illustration competition to design artwork for an edition of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [Natasa Ilincic, Jelle Steenhuisen, Alison Bryant and Max Loeffler].

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is by Henriette Willebeek Le Mair, for "Little Songs of Long Ago" (1912). Henriette was a Dutch artist who only illustrated occasionally, having a wealthy family. Here's a vert delicate and charming "London Bridge is Falling Down".

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is by Arthur Rackham for his masterly and magical 1908 edition of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Wishing you all a happy Midsummer/Summer Solstice/longest day. Here in Suffolk we have SUN!

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is by Joseph Mugnaini for "Beowulf" from Bullfinch's "The Age of Fable (1958). Italian born, American illustrator of Ray Bradbury etc. I love the drama & energy of this, so powerful & strange. I love the dragon's spindly legs, too - terrifyingly elegant!

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is by Arthur Rackham for Henrik Ibsen's "Peer Gynt" (1936). Here's bad bboy Peer trying to get Solveig to dance with him. Rackham's superb drawing shows all Peer's bluster and all Solveig's reluctance in body language and shadow. Masterly!

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- breaking my rule again (sorry). TODAY is the return of Mouse & Mole, by Joyce Dunbar, after a 20 year wait! Superbly republished by the mighty This illustration is from "Least Expecting" - for we certainly never expected this happy day!

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is by Garth Williams for "Three Little Kittens", featured in "Three Nursery Stories" (1958). Who else gave animals such softly textured fur? I did always feel so sorry for those naughty kittens..

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