The World is Round, with The World is Not Flat, plus a trade edition of The World is Round

San Francisco, CA: Arion Press. Fine with no dust jacket. 1986. Limited Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. The World is Round lacks the ephemeral printed balloon. The World is Not Flat has a slight splay to the boards. The box has the slightest rubbing at the corners. The trade edition's dust jacket has sun-lightened spine, a dark spec to the front, 3/4" closed tear to the back, overall light rubbing.; The World is Round is the only children's book written by Gertrude Stein, though written to be appreciated by adults. The prose and poetry describe Rose, a French child, a cousin, dogs, a pet lion, and the blue chair that Rose carries up a hill she imagines to be a "mountain." The plot isn't the real story, which is a young girl's determination and discovery that "Rose" is simply what she is and that who she is is far deeper than that. Written in a stream of words, like one would hear from an enthusiastic child describing something important. Stein's "modernist" style is filled with wordplay, streaming paragraphs, and doesn't bother with punctuation other than periods at the ends of sentences. Clement Hurd's numerous wood and lino cut illustrations, printed in medium blue, are in a spare style that supports the story. Hurd is best known for his illustration of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. The book is round, 9 1/4" diameter, and has a 3 1/2" flat "side" where the book is bound. In red cloth over boards with title and an illustration of the earth in a medium blue that appears bright against the complementary red. The World is Round, the 18th publication of Arion Press, is one of an edition of 400 designed and produced by Andrew Hoyem and his compatriots. Set in Century Schoolbook and Stymie Bold and printed on Mohawk Superfine paper. Clement Hurd's linoleum and wood block illustrations were printed from photoengravings of proofs pulled from the blocks used with a 1967 trade edition. The World Is Not Flat is the required companion volume, issued with the round book, and relates the history of Stein's writing and publishing The World is Round in 1939. Written by prolific author Edith Thatcher Hurd, wife of Clement Hurd, it goes beyond The World is Round to explain Stein's approach and style. With black and white photographs. This book is one of an edition of 400 designed and produced by the Press and edited by Glenn Todd. Set in Century Schoolbook and printed on Mohawk Superfine paper. The book is 6 1/4" x 6 1/4" and a Square Small 16mo. Bound in cloth over boards with the same color scheme as the round book. The printed presentation box for the books, 9 1/2" x 9 1/2", 2-piece, and pink, has a cardboard insert with a square "well" that holds the smaller, square book beneath the larger, round book. No dust jackets, as issued. Both books have binding that's tight as new. Included, though not required, is the trade press editon of The World is Round : With The World is Not Flat, an Afterword by Edith Thatcher Hurd. The book's text and illustrations are identical to the Arion Press editions, though all are printed in a darker blue in a circular, white 'frame' on pink paper. The covers are red cloth over boards and replicate the text and color scheme are similar to the Arion Press editions. This book is first thus from North Point Press, Berkely, California, 1988. The book is 9" x 9" and a Square Small 4to. 162[1] pp. The World is Round is a clean, flawless copy in Fine condition. The World is Not Flat is clean and Near Fine condition. The trade edition of The World is Round is in clean, Fine condition in a presentable VG dust jacket.; Wood and linoleum block prints; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 117[2] pages .