Kenneth Grahame "The Wind In The Willows" Slipcased Signed Limited Leather-Bound Edition No. 134 of 250 [Near Fine]

Personally signed by Ernest H. Shepard, the prolific illustrator who also illustrated classic literature like Winnie-the-Pooh, Tom Brown's Schooldays, Aesop's Fables, and his own memoirs.

SIGNED LIMITED EDITION OF ONLY 250 PRODUCED

London: Methuen Children's Books, 1971. Kenneth Grahame "The Wind In The Willows". First edition thus, deluxe signed limited edition. This is number 134 of a limited 250 copies signed by Ernest H. Shepard. Luxuriously bound in publisher's original green morocco leather by Zaehnsdorf, stamped in gilt with five raised bands, and top edges gilt. Housed in the original light green paper and cloth slipcase with spine panel ruled in black and lettered in gilt. A beautiful limited edition of Kenneth Grahame's classic children's book with vibrant illustrations, signed by the illustrator.

This 1971 signed limited edition is a "holy grail" for collectors because it was the first printing to present E.H. Shepard's iconic illustrations in full color. Limited to just 250 copies, this edition represents the absolute pinnacle of craftsmanship and is a highly sought-after investment piece.

Key attributes of this highly collectible release include:

Illustrations: Features the beloved colored illustrations and map endpapers created by Ernest H. Shepard.

Binding: Bound in publisher's full green morocco leather by the renowned bindery Zaehnsdorf.

Details: Includes raised bands, gilt text and characters on the cover, and all edges gilt.

Packaging: Issued in the original publisher's printed or cloth-and-card slipcase.

The extreme scarcity and value of this specific edition are driven by several key factors:

Shepard's First Color Illustrations: While E.H. Shepard illustrated the 1931 edition of the book, those drawings were in black-and-white. In 1971, Shepard hand-colored his classic illustrations specifically for this deluxe release, bringing the riverbank to life for the very first time.

Strict Limitation: Methuen Children’s Books only printed 250 numbered copies. Such a tiny print run severely restricts supply, guaranteeing that demand will always outpace availability in the rare book market.

Authoritative Signatures: Every single one of the 250 copies was hand-signed and numbered by E.H. Shepard himself.

Masterful Bindings: The publishers spared no expense. Copies were bound in premium, full-grained green morocco leather by the renowned bindery Zaehnsdorf. They feature raised spines, gold-gilt edges, and specialized illustrated endpapers.

Historical Significance: Shepard passed away just five years after this edition was published, at the age of 96. This makes the 1971 signature one of his later, highly prized authorizations before his death.

The Wind In The Willows

The Wind in the Willows is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It tells the story of Mole, Ratty and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets into trouble.

It also contains short stories about them that are disconnected from the main narrative. The novel was based on bedtime stories that Grahame told his son Alastair.

The Wind in the Willows received negative reviews upon its initial publication, but it has since become a classic of British literature. It was listed at No. 16 in the BBC's survey The Big Read and has been adapted multiple times in different media.

Since its beginnings as a series of stories told to Kenneth Grahame’s young son, The Wind in the Willows has gone on to become one of the best-loved children’s books of all time. The timeless story of Toad, Rat, Mole, and Badger has delighted readers of all ages for more than eighty years.

Friendly Rat, mild-mannered Mole, wise Badger, and kind—but conceited—Toad all live on the banks of the Thames. While Mole and Rat are content to go out in a row boat or travel the roads in a caravan, Toad prefers the excitement of motor cars. He’s already wrecked seven! While his friends try to keep him out of trouble, his passion for cars eventually results in his being caught and kept prisoner in the remotest dungeon of the best-guarded castle in all the land. Somehow, he has to escape and get home but what will he find when he gets there?

The Wind in the Willows is a book for those “who keep the spirit of youth alive in them; of life, sunshine, running water, woodlands, dusty roads, winter firesides.” So, wrote Kenneth Grahame of his timeless tale of Rat, Mole, Badger, and Toad.

Kenneth Grahame

Kenneth Grahame (8 March 1859 – 6 July 1932) was a Scottish writer. He is best remembered for the classic of children's literature The Wind in the Willows (1908). Born in Scotland, he spent most of his childhood with his grandmother in England, following the death of his mother and his father's inability to look after the children. After attending St Edward's School in Oxford, his ambition to attend university was thwarted and he joined the Bank of England, where he had a successful career. Before writing The Wind in the Willows, he published three other books: Pagan Papers (1893), The Golden Age (1895), and Dream Days (1898).

Ernest H. Shepard

Ernest Howard Shepard (10 December 1879 – 24 March 1976) was an English artist and book illustrator. He is known especially for illustrations of the anthropomorphic animal and soft toy characters in The Wind in the Willows and Winnie-the-Pooh.

Shepard's original 1926 illustrated map of the Hundred Acre Wood, which features in the opening pages of Winnie-the-Pooh (and also appears in the opening animation in the first Disney adaptation in 1966), sold for £430,000 ($600,000) at Sotheby's in London, setting a world record for book illustrations.