15 pages, 13 of them hand coloured full-page illustrated letters. Original yellow speckled endpapers. Dated in ink by hand on blank preliminary 13th October 1986. In the same hand on the following page, inscribed from Sue to Gill. The book's pages spell out `Happy Birthday’. Each letter is beautifully illuminated in colour by hand by Jane Walmsley. 26 x 31 mm. Staple bound. Original cream and crimson speckled boards with ivory paper label on upper cover with block printed title and author in black.
Other titles in the series include:
An Alphabet of Creatures, From Alligator to Zebra, 1980.
A Book of Nursery Rhymes, All the favourites, 1980.
Wild Flowers, Snowdrops, daisies, buttercups, violets, etc., 1980.
Happy Christmas, 1981.
After becoming Jan Pienkowki's assistant and contributing to the early 'Meg and Mog' books, 'Haunted House', and 'Robot', Jane Walmsley began playing around with miniatures in 1977, making blank books for dolls’ houses, which she sold to toy shops. It was a natural development from this to go on to illustrating and lettering these exquisite five little books.
She drew each page twice-up (twice the size of the finished book). These pages were printed on to sheets and then reduced. All the colour work was hand-done with felt tip pens. The pages were cut out by Jane with a scalpel, collated and then stapled together. The covers, which are just like those on hardback books, on a tiny scale, were made separately. Because these exquisite miniature books were hand-made, supply was limited and they are now collectable.
Jane was fascinated by miniature things and found hand-colouring the tiny illustrations very relaxing. She sold her books to about a dozen shops, mostly in London, but she was wary of going into large-scale production. ‘I wouldn’t want to do it if I didn’t enjoy it, and having to make books would rob it of the pleasure.’ Although unnumbered, each title probably only existed in editions of about one hundred copies.
OCLC number 992722645. Worldcat lists just one copy worldwide (University of Iowa Library).