Every year we have a special table where every book is marked $5. There is a particular reason why we do this. As some other booksellers do, we firmly believe that the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair ought to have really affordable books along with highly sought-after pricey ones. That way, all readers who come to the Book Fair can go home with something special.
To be sure, we'll have a special glass case with a collection of those really remarkable, very scarce items that make the Book Fair the perfect place for collectors. But we'll also have just plain readable books that have been enjoyed for years.By now you know that this year's Book Fair theme is Children's Literature: Pages of Wonder. We're delighted, of course, because we have a whole section of children's literature in the store. What's special this year is that our $5 book table will all be children's books. That's right, an entire chunk of our booth will be devoted to old favorites from everybody's youth.
Among them, Beatrix Potter, the English author of Peter Rabbit fame. As you can see from the photo above, The Tale of Peter Rabbit (most likely the first book in this series) is missing but there are numerous other Beatrix Potter tales certain to delight readers.
Potter always illustrated her own books. She was heavily influenced by the work of Kate Greenaway, Randolph Caldecott, and Walter Crane. What many readers may not know is that Beatrix Potter had an abiding interest in natural science and she developed quite a skill at drawing or painting her specimens. This skill is reflected in her illustrations of children's books, which are remarkably anatomically correct.
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