Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens

J. M. Barrie

Dec 2012 · Courier Corporation

About this eBook

Before he flew away to Neverland, the little boy who wouldn't grow up dwelt in the heart of London, with birds and fairies as his companions. This whimsical romp introduces Peter Pan, who discovered the magic of everyday existence amid the trees and flowers of Kensington Gardens—the very place where J. M. Barrie met the children who inspired his classic stories.
Acclaimed by the Times of London as "one of the most charming books ever written," Barrie's fantasy was published in 1907 with 50 stunning color illustrations by Arthur Rackham. This magnificent keepsake edition features all of Rackham's winsome images of Peter's adventures. Readers of all ages will delight in following the exuberant child as he sets sail in a boat built by thrushes from an island in the Serpentine to the enchanted Kensington Gardens, where fairies dance to the music of his pan-pipes and teach him to fly.

About the author

Journalist, novelist, and theater writer J. M Barrie's (1860-1937) most famous work is his play, Peter Pan. Eventually developed into a novel by Barrie, the story has been adapted into numerous feature films, musicals, children's books, and more since the early 1900s. This beautiful edition is enhanced by the art of Arthur Rackham, whose dreamlike style has added magical enchantment to a wealth of the world's finest literature. Arthur Rackham was born in London, England. At the age of 18, he worked as a clerk at the Westminster Fire Office and began studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art. In 1892 he left his job and started working for The Westminster Budget as a reporter and illustrator. His first book illustrations were published in 1893 in To the Other Side by Thomas Rhodes, but his first serious commission was in 1894 for The Dolly Dialogues, the collected sketches of Anthony Hope, who later went on to write The Prisoner of Zenda. Book illustrating then became Rackham's career for the rest of his life. Rackham invented his own unique technique which resembled photographic reproduction; he would first sketch an outline of his drawing, then lightly block in shapes and details. Afterwards he would add lines in pen and India ink, removing the pencil traces after it had dried. With color pictures, he would then apply multiple washes of color until transparent tints were created. Arthur Rackham died in 1939 of cancer in his home in Limpsfield, Surrey.