London: printed by C. E. Knight, St. Katharine’s-square. For J. Davis, No. 56, Paternoster-Row, [18–]

These tiny volumes were certainly intended for children, but they must also have carried some novelty value given their size. Like much nineteenth-century instructional literature they expect knowledge of the Bible in their readers, each story being signposted with a Biblical story – Adam and Eve are recalled here. Books just like these are mentioned too: in the story of Fanny Thoughtless we see her distress at having no money to buy some books “printed on purpose for children, with a great many pretty pictures” from a street peddler.

CCE.7.67.49