First Books of Many

Happy Children's Book Week! It almost escaped me again this year. Doesn't Hallmark have a greeting card for this? Evidently CBW has been around since 1919 with book and reading events held nationwide in schools, libraries, and bookstores. Even Google maps has a national CBW page of events with listings ongoing through Sunday, May 19th. So I have no excuse for being late to the party, except to honor it by including some of my favorite found first's. Not first edition first's, mind you; but first book's of reading. Still looking for that special First Book of Typography title, but I may have to write and design it myself.
   

See more of Langston Hughes delightful book, deftly illustrated by Cliff Roberts at We Too Were Children, Mr. Barrie.

For the budding geologist, from Calsidyrose's Flickrstream.

A 1957 first from Vintage Nelly's Etsy bookshelf. Don't they realize they are on the cover of the first ever book they are reading? 

A 1951 gem from Brain Pickings, where you can see more of Jeanne Bendick's lovely illustrations.

See more of Mark Hearld's remarkable illustrations at St. Jude's Prints. There are words in it too. 

Another first from Calsidyrose, and naturally, with the great title. A revised 1956 edition.

I'm not sure this is the first book I would want to remember reading, but what great illustrations. Via Steph's Flickrstream.

From Farm to Book via liz and jay books n' more.

The first, though maybe not the last conchologists book. First published in 1839 originally under Edgar Allan Poe's name, although he never claimed he was the author. He was more likely the editor or compiler and translator of the work, and also wrote the preface and the introduction. Natural history books were very popular reading in the 19th century, and I guess conchology was no exception.

Another Jeanne Bendick illustrated book with astronaut space walkers on the cover. What could they possibly be spraying in space? Maria Popova at Brain Pickings reports that Bendick authored and illustrated over 100 mid-century children's science and technology books. Read and learn more about this wonderful 1953 book at Brain Pickings. The illustrations are out of this world.