[John Lea] John Lea Bricknell — Four and Twenty Kickabouts

London, Blackie & Son Limited, 1920. First edition. Cloth. A first edition copy of this vanishingly scarce adventure tale by John Lea Bricknell, profusely illustrated by J. R. Monsell. The first edition of this work in a quarter cloth binding with the publisher's original pictorial boards. A charming and very scarce children's story written in verse by John Lea Bricknell, profusely illustrated by J. R. Monsell (1877-1952), an Irish illustrator who is known for his successful edition of Thackeray's The Rose and the Ring. Illustrated with 4 colour plates, including one double-page plate, and numerous black and white illustrations. In a quarter cloth binding with the publisher's original pictorial boards. Externally fairly smart, with slight loss to the pictorial paper of the front board and four horizontal tears to the cloth of the spine. Shelf wear to the extremities. Pages are age toned with the odd handling mark and a couple of losses to the perimeter of page 31, not affecting the text or illustration. Several of the black and white illustrations have been neatly hand coloured by a previous owner. Good . Ill.: J. R. Monsell. Good .