2 Maida books ca. 1938. (Little Shop & Little School) by Inez Haynes Irwin
INSCRIBED
• Author: Inez Haynes Irwin (1873–1970)
• Little Shop Frontis Illustrator: Pelagie Dorothy Doane Hoffner(1906-1966)
• Little School Frontis Illustrator: Eleanor Gottheil (1899-1988)
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers New York, NY U.S.A 1938

Inez Haynes Irwin (1873–1970) was an American feminist author, journalist, member of the National Women's Party, and president of the Authors Guild. Many of her works were published under her former name Inez Haynes Gillmore. She wrote over 40 books and was active in the suffragist movement in the early 1900s.

Her 15-book "Maida" series of children's books was written over a period of 45 years and tells the stories of a schoolgirl whose mother has died and whose father is very wealthy.

Book 1 in series, Maida's Little Shop (1909, but 53 editions), is a gentle story with a delightful little girl heroine and lovable characters. Maida is a sweet little girl whose father is one of the richest men in America. She is pale, listless and lame. Her father buys her a small shop in Charlestown, Massachusetts in the hope that this will give her an interest and help restore her health. His only requirement is that she not tell anyone who she is or who her father is. Maida makes friends for the first time in her life who see her only as an ordinary girl. ii + 294 + 6pp of ads.

Book 3 in series, Maida's Little School (1926), dreading the coming of school days, Maida's father promises the children a new kind of school. ii + 246 + 6pp of ads.

Pelagie Dorothy Doane Hoffner(1906-1966) was an American illustrator during the 1930s into the 1960s for children's books. She illustrated many volumes in the Judy Bolton series, as well as The Magic Makers series written by Margaret Sutton. Doane also illustrated volumes in the Melody Lane series by Lillian Garis, and many other books. Her signature, Pelagie Doane, is on the frontis of Maida's Little Shop (13th printing in 1931 through Grosset & Dunlap).

Nora Benjamin Kubie (1899-1988) was an American writer, artist and amateur archaeologist. Born Eleanor Gottheil, she attended Vassar College, graduating in 1920. She began her literary career writing nautical stories and juvenile novels, later focusing on Jewish historical fiction and archaeology. As an artist, she illustrated many of her juvenile books. Little School frontis illustration was signed Eleanor Gottheil.

Hardcovers have orange/gold cloth boards with black lettering & designs on front & spine, but no DJs. Top page-edges tinted blue. Covers show appropriate pantine and sunning. Both copies inscribed by the same people to the same person, dated 7/18/39 in front papers. Adds no value. Rear cover of School has been wet on rear cover edges with water spot on top page-edge, but dried with no damage to interior or text. Interiors are tight, clean, and otherwise unmarked.

• Size: 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall, 556pp.

• Condition: Two Hardcovers, no Dust Jackets – Gold G&D Edition. Always Privately Owned.

Little Shop copyright 1909 (implied from 13th printing July 1931), Little School copyright 1926. Neither copyright was associated with Grosset & Dunlap nor is it likely thar either book was printed near copyright (or reprint) dates. It is likely both books were printed a year or so before the date of the gift inscription, say 1938. Books were designed to look as part of the same set, sometimes referred to as the Golden Edition. No ISBN, LCCN nor MSR.