Dot and Dash in the Pumpkin Patch

WEST, Dorothy

Published by Cupples & Leon, U.S., 1939

About this Item

Mildred A. Wirt Benson was one of those prolific children's authors who wrote under a seemingly endless number of names - both male and female pseudonyms in this case. She even wrote under the name Mildred A. Wirt sometimes, but is probably best known as having written (as Carolyn Keene) most of the early Nancy Drew books. Here, as Dorothy West, she penned this typically high quality Dot and Dash series "For Girls from 6 to 10 years old". This is the fourth of a total of five books in the series. This copy is the very scarce first issue with the jacket depicting Dot in a yellow dress running through the woods with Dash at her side. There was a more common second issue with Dot in a pink dress sitting on a grassy tussock. This first issue also has good paper and a frontispiece printed on glossy paper (second issue had inferior paper). Another difference is that this copy makes no mention of the fifth title in the series ("Dot and Dash at the Seashore", 1940) either on the jacket or in the advertisement for the series in the back of the book. Although the book is described as "Illustrated", all you get is a black and white frontispiece. Bit of a swiz, that! (There's a word I haven't used since I was ten!) OK, this is expensive, so let's go over the condition in some detail. First thing to say is that this is an extraordinary copy! The blue cloth boards, with black lettering to spine and upper cover, are amazingly fresh and clean. The only real defect is a slight knock to the upper edge of the lower board. The stained top edges show little or no signs of fading. The illustrated endpapers show the merest hint of browning, but the front endpaper - which is printed with a "This is my Book" space - has been filled in, very nicely and discreetly (and dated 1943). The top, recto, corners of the frontispiece and the title page have signs of erasure and the frontispiece corner has a soft crease across it. Edges of the textblock are just slightly browned. All in all, a remarkably unsullied and tight copy. Very good indeed. Dust jacket is very good, slightly worn on edges and folds, with one or two chips and nicks to spine ends and edges. Both upper and lower corners of both flaps have the same shallow clipping, so I'm not sure which corner, if any, carried a price. The inside of the jacket is printed on all panels with a catalog of "The Best Books for Boys and Girls", listing many of the series the publisher was known for. Wonderful copy of a scarce children's series title. Seller Inventory # 000316

Bibliographic Details

Title: Dot and Dash in the Pumpkin Patch

Publisher: Cupples & Leon, U.S.

Publication Date: 1939

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good

Edition: 1st Edition