A Romance of the Three R’s, Penned & Pictured by Walter Crane. London, Marcus Ward & Co., 1886.

The book holds three stories written and illustrated by Walter Crane (1845-195); Little Queen Anne and her Majesty's letters (1886), Pothooks & Perseverance (or the ABC-serpent) (1886) and Slate & Pencilvania: being the adventures of Dick on a desert island (1885). In the preface Crane explains that his original intention was to issue these three titles together to help children with reading, writing and arithmetic. These 'three R's' remain the main subject throughout the book. This book is an early version of a picture book in which the illustration is equal to the text. B2327