The Little White Goat 1933 1st Ed Inscribed

📖 The Little White Goat by Dorothy P. Lathrop (1933, The Macmillan Company) — a 58-page children’s picture book with a color frontispiece, illustrated title page, and 15 full-page black-and-white drawings by Lathrop. This copy is inscribed by Lathrop on the front free endpaper to fellow illustrator Marguerite Kirmse Cole.

QUICK FACTS

• Author/Illustrator: Dorothy Pulis Lathrop (1893–1980)
• Publisher: The Macmillan Company, New York
• Year: 1933 (first printing, published October 1933)
• Format: Hardcover, oblong 8vo (9.75 × 8.25 in.), yellow-brown cloth with orange-stamped title and goat illustration
• Pages: 58 | Illustrations: Color frontispiece + 15 full-page B&W plates
• Condition: Good Plus — see full report below

THE STORY

On May Eve, a mysterious little white goat appears and leads two children, Debby and Pat, into a sunlit wood. There they meet rabbits, lambs, and other baby animals in a gentle tale about nature, play, and wonder. The narrative is simple and warm — Lathrop’s text has the measured, musical quality of a bedtime story meant to be read aloud.

THIS EDITION

First edition, first printing — “Set up and electrotyped. Published October, 1933.” Printed in the United States of America. The oblong format gives Lathrop’s illustrations generous room to breathe, with text and image paired across facing pages throughout.

COVER ART & ILLUSTRATIONS

The cloth boards are a warm yellow-brown with the title and a standing goat stamped in vibrant orange — a simple, charming design typical of Macmillan’s 1930s children’s list. Inside, the illustrated title page shows a goat playing a flute while perched on a crescent moon. The 15 full-page black-and-white plates are rendered in Lathrop’s characteristic fine linework: detailed pen drawings of rabbits in motion, children feeding a young goat, and a moonlit woodland scene with the white goat standing on a rocky outcrop. Her signature “D.P. Lathrop” appears on several plates. The frontispiece is in color.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Dorothy Lathrop won the inaugural Caldecott Medal in 1938 for Animals of the Bible and was a Newbery Honor recipient for The Fairy Circus (1931) — one of the foremost illustrators of the Golden Age of children’s literature
• This copy is inscribed by Lathrop to Marguerite Kirmse Cole (1885–1972), a noted English-born artist celebrated for over 250 etchings of dogs representing 26 breeds. Cole’s initials appear on the front free endpaper alongside Lathrop’s personal dedication: “For Marguerite Kirmse Cole with all good wishes”
• A presentation copy connecting two significant figures in early 20th-century illustration — uncommon provenance for a book already scarce in any condition

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? First edition, first printing, published October 1933 by The Macmillan Company, New York. Yellow-brown cloth with orange stamping.

What condition is it in? Good Plus — cloth boards show tanning and moisture exposure along the bottom front board extending into the first few dozen pages, with light rippling to the block. Spine head and tail frayed; lower front board corner frayed. Binding is tight and not cracked. Interior pages show age toning and minor foxing. See full condition report below.

Is it signed or inscribed? Yes — inscribed by Dorothy P. Lathrop on the front free endpaper to Marguerite Kirmse Cole, with Cole’s initials also present on the FEP.

FOR COLLECTORS

Lathrop inscriptions are uncommon, and a presentation copy to a fellow professional illustrator — one with her own distinguished career in animal art — adds a layer of provenance that makes this copy stand out from other copies on the market. The Cole connection links two artists who shared a passion for animal illustration during the same era.

This is a “good plus” or better vintage hardcover in yellow cloth wrapped boards.

No torn, folded, loose or significantly creased pages unless specified below. NOT ex-library. Will not contain underlining or highlighting unless called out below in item specifics.

First edition, published in 1933.

Binding is tight, not cracked. Cloth wrapped boards show fair amount of tanning, aging. Definite moisture exposure apparent along bottom front board and along first 3 dozen or so pages, with some light rippling to block pages. Spine head and tail edges are frayed as is lower front board corner.
Aside from gift inscription neatly penned by Ms. Lathrop, and Ms. Cole’s initials on FEP, no other writing. Book does show wear, but is unique in its provenance and is still quite quaint and pleasing.
A very exciting item for the collector of illustrated children’s books!
See accompanying images for full condition details.

About Ms. Cole: Marguerite Kirmse, a famous artist specializing in dogs, was born December 14, 1885 in Bournemouth, England. She arrived in the United States in 1910. During the 1910’s, she was doing drawings, pastels and paintings, primarily of dogs. In April of 1921, she did her first etching, titled “Brushwood Boy”. The etching was done using a victrola needle. “Chase”, her second etching, was done in the same month. Eventually using diamond-pointed pencils, she went on to create over 250 etchings of dogs representing 26 breeds. Including private commissions, she did over 100 etchings of Scottish Terriers. Pointers, Setters and other field dogs and terriers are included in her portfolio.

Will ship promptly, carefully packaged, States only, signature requested, insured.

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