The Green Umbrella, 1950, Series 401 (DJ)

Ginger’s Adventures, 1950 Series 401

This was the 14th of the Animal Rhyming stories of series of 401. The 401 series is significant in the Ladybird story because these books were the first ones published in the format that was to become the classic Ladybird format: small size, with text on the left and a full-page illustration on the right. After the early 1940s, all the books in this series were written in jaunty rhyme by Walter Perring and were illustrated by Angusine Macgregor.  The effect of this rhyme was to lodge in the memory of the young child.  Ask anyone who enjoyed this book as a child and the chances are they can still quote parts of the rhyme decades later.

This copy:

This copy still has its original dustwrapper which has been square price-clipped.  The DJ is rather shelf-worn with rubbing to edges and fraying at corners. The boards are buff with a blue line-drawing vignette.  The endpapers are white, with a couple of inscriptions (see photos).  The pages are good but for a couple of pale thumb marks and discoloration to page tips.   It will date to the early 1960s.