Peter Pan and Wendy

The Quintessential Edition

Until now, there has never been an edition of J. M. Barrie's most famous work - Peter Pan and Wendy - that could match the beautiful treatment given to the earlier Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. The Edwardian era was the golden age of children's books and Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens was acknowledged to be one of the finest. Andrew Birkin, J. M. Barrie's biographer, remarked, '[it] became the Christmas book of 1906 - arguably of the whole Edwardian era'. The Folio Society facsimile, published two years ago, splendidly reproduced the hand-tipped illustrations which were some of Arthur Rackham's finest works. Now, for the first time, Peter Pan and Wendy has been produced in an equally enchanting edition.

An Iconic Character

When the well-known playwright and writer J. M. Barrie met three of the Llewelyn Davies boys in Kensington Gardens, one of children's literature's most powerful and enduring creations sparked into life. Barrie's stories of the boy who never grew up gradually evolved, from his first appearance living on the island in the Serpentine, to his more famous incarnation in the play 'Peter Pan', fighting pirates and Red Indians in Neverland.

A Wealth of Illustration

When Barrie saw the illustrations Arthur Rackham had made for Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, he wrote 'I hope you will shed glory on more of my things'. Rackham never did, but the exquisite watercolours produced by Debra MacFarlane especially for this edition are just as entrancing. Twelve gloriously coloured plates are tipped by hand into the large format book and dozens of ink drawings fill the pages. Debra has even drawn a delightfully detailed map of Neverland. The silver-blocked royal blue binding gives a finish as fine as any Edwardian masterpiece. 12 full-page colour paintings.