This Month - Hans Christian Andersen - contributed by Joanne

Hans Christian Andersen was born in April 1805, to poverty stricken parents. His father was a shoemaker and his mother a washerwoman who worked in the big houses of the more wealthy. The Andersen family, however, lived in a small room in the town of Odense in Denmark, often with not enough food to go around.

Andersen spent his early life learning Danish folklore, passed on by word of mouth from women in the spinning room of the asylum, where his grandmother worked. Read More.

Featured Book - Snailsleap Lane - contributed by Lorna

Snailsleap Lane was written and illustrated by Beshlie in 1977. At the time she and her husband Dominic Reeve, also an author, were living the itinerant life. Beshlie draws on her experiences to describe and depict the life of itinerant traders but she portrays them as various animals and amphibians rather than human beings.

Each chapter is headed by a beautiful colour illustration of the character featured and... Read the full article.

Other books about Trams

More Ireland books.

Other Foreign Topography books

Price: £ 55

More Billy Bunter

The second Mickey Mouse annual. 4 Colour plates and packed full of b/w illustrations.

£ 280

Published by John Cole. 1825. Small format Pages: vi, 142 + ii. Original printed paper boards, new cloth spine with paper label. All edges gilt. 6 engraved plates, engraved title, plus woodcut vignettes. £125

1st ed . 1895 With a List of Those Officers Who For Their Gallant Conduct Were Granted Honorary Swords and Plate by the Committee of the Patriotic Fund. 21 colour plates plus b/w woodcuts. £125

1st ed . 1946. A delightful wrap around style wrapper. Would be a gem on many collectors' shelves, with just a few minor faults. £ 250

News in Brief

Books catalogued this month include collections of Richmal Crompton - Just William, W.E. Johns - Biggles, Pamela Brown, Lorna Hill, Observer's, Railways and many more.

This month's image is of Chris & Cliff's dog Sammy having a conversation with a local horse. If only I could hear that conversation!

Thousands of Wales' oldest and rarest books have been saved after a council threatened to sell them. About 175 books from the collection were printed before 1500 and it also includes 500 Bibles and a rare set of early Shakespeare volumes.  Full story on the BBC News Website.

To see other news in brief, please click here.