A first edition, first printing of Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne, with decorations by Ernest H. Shepard, published by Methuen & Co., London in 1927. A good copy in the original red cloth, with the gilt illustration of Christopher Robin, Pooh, and Piglet to the front board remaining bright and well defined, and the gilt decorative border largely intact. The rear board likewise retains its gilt border and illustration. The spine is unfaded, with the cloth and lettering clear. The binding is firm and sound.
There are several ownership inscriptions by a previous owner: the front cover bears a neatly written name in ink; the same name appears on the front endpaper; and the leaf preceding the title page contains multiple handwritten name inscriptions, evidently practice signatures. Aside from these markings, the internal text block is clean and well preserved, with minimal to no foxing throughout. The pages are fresh, the illustrations crisp, and there are no tears, loose leaves, or structural faults.
First published in 1927, Now We Are Six is the third of A. A. Milne’s Pooh books and represents a key moment in the development of the Christopher Robin stories. Together with Ernest H. Shepard’s illustrations, it helped fix the visual and emotional world of Pooh that would become inseparable from twentieth-century childhood. First editions remain desirable, particularly when retaining original cloth with strong gilt, even when affected by contemporary ownership inscriptions.
