Th is is a signed first edition in good condition. It was published by The Bodley Head in 2002.
The book begins with a small girl in West Kirby who is obsessed with comics: The Daily Sketch, The Daily Express and The Mirror - each of these newspapers helped to shape one of our finest illustrators. Shirley's story takes us from this gentle start, through the Second World War, and to a career, which began with Art School in a blitzed Liverpool, led to Oxford, and then to London. Shirley reflects on art, and her own development, in a tale which is fascinating and full of personalities. She describes her own creative process as'the nearest thing I know to flying into the sun' and it is this passion for the world of illustration, which shines through the book and gives it a unique personality. Lavishly illustrated throughout with sketches from her Italian sketchbooks, doodles from boring meetings, roughs from what would later become classic picture books and perfectly executed paintings done just for the fun of it, this book will be a treasured gift for those who love art and those who have grown up with the enduring characters from Shirley's books who inhabit so many homes through this country and beyond.
This is a 1st Edition / 1st Printing (The number string is: 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2). Book - Very Good - rubbing/bumping/wear to the corners and edges, a lean and crease to the spine, slight bumping to a few page corners, v. Slight marking to the page edges and v.
Slight tanning to the pages. Good - rubbing/bumping/wear to the corners and edges, a couple of small nicks.
Some marking, scratches/indentations, fading, discolouration and creasing. The DJ is in a protective plastic sleeve non-adhesiv. Photos/scans are always of the actual book for sale, and more can be supplied upon request. Specialise in First Editions and in particular Signed First Editions. I do combine P&P costs, and I do post Worldwide.