The Banbury Cross Series was a collection of 12 volumes of books edited by Grace Rhys and published in London by Dent in the 1890s. Each book is attractively illustrated with full page and partial page pen and ink drawings in a classic Art Nouveau style by leading artists of the era. This book 'Aesop's Fables' presents a select collection of some of Aesop's most entertaining stories with thought-provoking morals along with Robinson's beautifully imaginative and humourous black and white pen and ink illustrations. Contents Include: The Daw in Borrowed Feathers, The Sun and the Wind, The Dog in the Manger, Mercury and the Woodman, The Fox and the Stork, The Ants and the Grasshopper, The Lion and the Mouse, The Crow and the Pitcher, The Fox and the Grapes, The Wolf and the Lamb, and The Fox and the Crow. About the Illustrator: Charles Robinson (1870-1937) was a British illustrator of the Golden Age born into an industrious and well-respected family of deeply talented illustrators. His childhood was spent absorbing the family craft and when 25 his first full book was published - Robert Louis Stevenson's Child's Garden of Verses. Both his intricate and ornate pen and ink drawings as well as his rich watercolours display a languidness and elegance that is influenced by the burgeoning Art Nouveau movement. His art is characterized by a certain exuberance and playfulness that perfectly enhance the text they illustrate. About the author: Aesop (c. 620-560BC) is famous for his Fables, which are still used as the basis of many children's plays and cartoons and to teach moral lessons today. He was born in Greece and little is known about his life except that he was a slave of Ladmon of Samos who received his freedom. Aesop probably did not personally commit his fables to the page but rather later eminent Greeks such as Socrates recorded them. Many of the earliest children's books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Pook Press are working to republish these classic works in affordable, high quality editions, using the original text and artwork so these works can delight another generation of children.
