Collected Animal Poems. Volumes 1–4.

First edition. 8vos. 4 vols. Pp. [vi], 93; [viii], [119]; [iv], 125; [iv], 72. Vol. 1. The Iron Wolf. Vol. 2. What is the Truth? Vol. 3. A March Calf. Vol. 4. The Thought-Fox. B/w line illustrations by Chris Riddell (vol. 1) and Lisa Flather (vol. 2), the rest unillustrated. Dark blue cloth boards, lettered in white to spine. Pictorial dust wrappers with colour drawings by the illustrators. The first collected edition in publisher's pictorial slipcase.

Signed by Hughes on the half-title of vol. 1, as issued.

Winner in 1985 of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Signal Poetry Award, for What is the Truth? Arranged in a sequence of increasing complexity, starting with poems written for children and culminating with poems from his adult collections. Together the four volumes constitute a "book for life," a collection for children to cut their reading teeth on... and for adults to savour.

[Sagar & Tabor A112.a.2]