Puck of Pook’s Hill is one of the lesser known tales of Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1935); the famed author of ‘The Jungle Book’. It is a fantasy novel, containing a series of short stories set in different periods of English history. The stories are all narrated to two children living near Burwash (East Sussex) – by people magically plucked out of history by the elf Puck, or told by Puck himself. The genres of particular stories range from authentic historical novella (A Centurion of the Thirtieth, On the Great Wall) to children’s fantasy (Dymchurch Flit) – and are all bracketed by Kipling’s masterful poetry. This edition of Puck of Pook’s Hill is also accompanied by a series of dazzling colour illustrations by Arthur Rackham (1867-1939). One of the most celebrated painters of the British Golden Age of Illustration (which encompassed the years from 1850 until the start of the First World War), Rackham’s artistry is quite simply, unparalleled. Throughout his career, he developed a unique style, combining haunting humour with dream-like romance. Presented alongside the text, his illustrations further refine and elucidate Kipling’s masterful storytelling. Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s literature – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration from the 1880s to the 1930s. Our collection showcases classic fairy tales, children’s stories, and the work of some of the most celebrated artists, illustrators and authors.
