A richly illustrated Victorian children’s annual in its striking original publisher’s binding.

Author: Edited by Mrs. Sale Barker. Illustrated by Gordon Browne, A. W. Cooper, M. E. E., P. Ebbutt, A. T. Elwes, Hal Ludlow, E. J. Wheeler, and Harrison Weir.
Title: Little Wide-Awake: An Illustrated Magazine for Children.
Publisher: London, George Routledge and Sons, Broadway, Ludgate Hill; New York, 9 Lafayette Place, 1886. First thus.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 10 x 7.5 inches.
Pages: 376 pages, plus advertisements.
Binding: Very good, original publisher’s decorative green cloth, richly stamped in gilt, black, and polychrome; upper cover featuring a charming central vignette of a young girl within a floral frame; spine elaborately lettered and ornamented; rear cover with decorative panel; (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective, removable mylar cover. All edges gilt. Remaining highly attractive and well-preserved.
Content: Very good; clean and solid throughout; occasional light spotting; a contemporary gift inscription to front endpaper dated Xmas 1887; text and illustrations remain crisp and pleasing.
Illustrations: Profusely illustrated throughout with full-page plates and numerous in-text engravings, including a fine color frontispiece; a rich visual panorama of late Victorian juvenile illustration.

Estimate: (USD 200–350).

The book: Little Wide-Awake stands as a quintessential example of the richly produced Victorian children’s annuals that blended entertainment, moral instruction, and visual delight. Issued by Routledge in 1886, this volume gathers stories, poems, puzzles, and instructive pieces within a beautifully illustrated framework designed to captivate young readers. The elaborate publisher’s binding—among the most attractive features of such works—remains here in remarkably fresh condition, enhanced by bright gilt edges and vivid cover decoration. A charming survival of a once-beloved family book, retaining both its aesthetic appeal and historical character.

The editor: Mrs. Sale Barker was a prominent editor of Victorian children’s literature, associated with the popular Little Wide-Awake series and related publications aimed at educating and entertaining young audiences in the late 19th century.

The illustrators: The volume brings together a distinguished group of Victorian illustrators, including Gordon Browne and Harrison Weir, whose work helped define the visual language of children’s publishing in the period, combining narrative clarity with lively and engaging imagery.