Status Updates From Nine Unlikely Tales for Chi...

Finally found the illustration that corresponds with the image on the cover. It's de bossed on the cover, and all the gilt has worn off. Couldn't figure out what it was. It's a seal in a judge's robe and wig stomping on a child. Of course.

Encountered two printing oddities in this 1923 edition. First the extra 1-digit numbers at the center of the footer on random pages. I soon realized they were sequential signature numbers, to ensure the book was assembled in the right order. Second, on p. 118, the word "sdoil". New word? No, a literal typo--the typesetter must have put the p in upside down.

Found this at an antique store. I really enjoyed an audio version of Nesbit's short story "Melisande" on Selected Shorts. Loved the first story "The Cockatoucan" in this one. Her writing reminds me of Kate DiCamillo, and I love the period details from 1901. Looked up her bio, and her life sounds really interesting--her husband sounds awful.

Being a collection, the stories varied from being funny to being just slightly amusing. Solid overall.

Nesbit is considered one of the early writers of comic fantasy, and I can see how she's branching away from fairy tales and developing a humorous style. Good stuff.