Arabel's Raven by Joan Aiken & illustrated by Quentin Blake [FIRST EDITION] • 1974 • Doubleday & Co.

Arabel's Raven by Joan Aiken and illustrated by Quentin Blake

FIRST EDITION  [1974] DOUBLEDAY & COMPANY

Fourth Printing / 1974.  Rare early collab between Wolves of Willoughby Chase author Joan Aiken and signature Roald Dahl illustrator Quentin Blake. 

Ex-Library hardcover with dust jacket in good reading condition w/ flaws:

Dust jacket is in very nice shape;  One torn corner and mild water stain at top of spine.  Otherwise, clean and in tact with original jacket price of $8.95 on front panel.  

Book has tape remainder marks to otherwise clean red boards.  Tightly bound, with library stamp on text block and front endpaper fixed to underside of front boards..   

A few stains to text block / and a few stained page margins but nothing too egregious (see photos);  Most pages are clean, white and read beautifully however. 

The first story about Arabel and her pet raven Mortimer. 

In Arabel's Raven, Mr Jones, while driving his taxi, notices something bedraggled in the road. He stops and discovers an injured raven. He takes it home and his four-year-old daughter Arabel falls in love at first sight. 'His name is Mortimer,' she announces and Mortimer has found a home. A series of thefts and a robber quarrel are only two of the dramas in this delightful tale in which Mortimer and Arabel find their ways straight to the reader's heart.  This story was originally published in the collection, Tales of Arabel's Raven.