SCUTTLEBUTT GOES TO WAR

First edition and printing. Illustrated on every page in black, red, white, and blue by Lucia Patton. 8vo, publisher's original pictorial decorated paper-covered boards, with pictorial endpapers, and in the rather scarce original dustjacket. [30pp., unpaginated]. A beautiful copy, as fine as one could hope to find for a children's book produced to wartime standards, the text is spotless, the binding sound and sturdy with its brightly decorated paper-covered boards just lightly rubbed at the edges, even the dustjacket remains in an excellent state of preservation with just a touch of wear to the edges and folds.

Edizione: rare in this condition. scuttlebutt is based on the true story of a dog serving with u.s. marines in the south pacific and at guadalcanal. during the early years of world war two a mongrel dog boarded an american fighting ship and fell down a hold breaking its two back legs. a navy lieutenant wrote a letter to his six-year-old daughter, telling her of how the ship's doctor fixed up the pup; and in later letters how 'scuttlebutt' became a beloved mascot to the crew. the daughter showed the letters, which included a sketch of the puppy, to a neighbor. the neighbor in turn showed them to margaret friskey, a successful author of books for children.