KIPLING, Rudyard. “The Second Jungle Book” [The Century Co., 1895] 1st Edition

Rudyard Kipling. The Second Jungle Book.

New York: The Century Co., 1895. First American edition. 7.75" x 5.5", 324pp. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white drawings and decorative head- and tailpieces by John Lockwood Kipling. Original publisher’s orange-brown cloth stamped in red and gilt with the palm-tree device to the upper board, gilt spine lettering. Cloth lightly rubbed with small losses at spine ends, corners worn, some dulling to gilt; hinges sound, binding firm; contents clean with occasional light toning, no loose pages. Gift inscription on FFPE from Christmas 1895. Very Good.

The sequel to The Jungle Book, expanding Kipling’s Indian tales beyond the Mowgli stories to include some of his most philosophically reflective jungle narratives. Issued during the height of Kipling’s international fame, this volume represents the mature phase of his late-Victorian storytelling and features integral illustrations by his father, John Lockwood Kipling, whose designs are inseparable from the book’s original visual identity. A cornerstone title of illustrated children’s literature at the end of the 19th century.