In Town and Country: The Road to Safety | 1938

In Town and Country: The Road to Safety by Horace Mann Buckley, Margaret L. White, Alice B. Adams, and Leslie R. Silvernale, published by American Book Company, 1938. Condition is very good, presenting beautifully for a book of its age. Please see photos for full details.

Condition notes: there are some very small markings inside and a "belongs to" sticker on the inside cover, typical of a book that was once a child's treasured copy. Otherwise the book is in excellent condition throughout.

A charming and wonderfully preserved example of late 1930s American children's educational literature, this safety reader reflects the era's growing emphasis on civic education and everyday life skills for young readers, covering both town and country settings in the wholesome, illustrated style typical of the period. Books of this kind were classroom staples across America in the years leading up to World War II and capture a vivid snapshot of American childhood and educational values of the time.

The American Book Company was formed in 1890 by the consolidation of four major publishing houses and operated successfully for more than seventy years with the public school system and other educational institutions as its main clients. It is perhaps best known as the publisher of the McGuffey Readers, which sold an extraordinary 120 million copies between 1836 and 1960, making it one of the most influential educational publishers in American history. The company employed many noted artists as illustrators for its public school textbooks, including Norman Rockwell and Frederick Remington, a testament to the caliber of talent it attracted and the quality of its publications.

A lovely addition for collectors of vintage American children's literature, 1930s educational Americana, or American Book Company titles specifically. The very good condition makes this one of the more displayable copies of late pre-war American schoolroom literature you are likely to find.