"Bobby Bear's Annual", Arthur Groom, published by Dean & Son Ltd, London 1951

Brilliantly drawn nostalgic children's pictures from the fifties - no credits for the illustrator again. Many inspiring characters for both children and adults alike - I love the hand-drawn type and the sometimes "shaky" printing. Most of them would make great greeting cards in their own right.

"Victoria Regina" by Lawrence Housman, illustrated by E.H. Shepard (Jonathan Cape Ltd, London 1934)

No, this is not the first edition - it's actually the fourteenth - but never mind. These are classic illustrations from the 1930's. Just magnificent. This book (only cost me a couple of quid) is full of them. E.H. Shepard, famous for his "Winnie the Pooh" illustrations, displays here his huge talent and craftsmanship. Plenty of information available on Shepard on many sites. I'll be posting some more pictures in the near future.

Even though all the main pictures are so well drawn and full of expression and wit, I prefer the little spot illustrations which are much more freely executed (and tiny!). There is so much content in just a couple of square inches. Here are a few of the small ones.