QUACKY DOODLES' AND DANNY DADDLES' BOOK

Chicago, New York, Toronto: P. F. Volland & Co, 1916. Very good plus.. Lovely Gruelle publication for Volland, a charming story of toy ducks and friends who come to life, published two years before Gruelle's first RAGGEDY ANN title. Though Gruelle patented the Raggedy Ann doll in 1915, the book series that made the toys beloved did not begin until 1918; for a time, it seemed like QUACKY DOODLE would be Gruelle's ticket to multimedia stardom. In 1917, Bray Studios hired him to animate a series of cartoons based on the toy ducks introduced in this volume. However, when the cartoons debuted, they were executed by a different artist: it is likely that Gruelle was too involved in the pre-production of the first RAGGEDY ANN book that he was unable to take on the animation project. QUACKY DOODLES' AND DANNY DADDLES' BOOK is a particularly rare title in collectible condition. 9'' x 5.75''. Original color pictorial boards. Yellow endpapers with the silhouettes of various toys. Illustrated in color. "Ninth Edition," i.e. Volland's ninth printing. [88] pages. Ink owner name filled in on name page. Joints carefully repaired with a few tiny infills to edges. Leaves with occasional soil, largely confined to margins; a couple leaves with tiny closed tears to lower margins. Colors bright.