The Little Engine That Could.

PIPY, Walter; Illustrated by Lois Lenski.

Item Number: 41054

New York: The Platt & Munk Co, 1930.

First edition with the Never Grow Old Series list on the verso of the front free endpaper, with nine titles, ending with The Little Engine That Could and the two lines on the bottom left of the cover beginning with “No. 358.” Octavo, original illustrated boards, color illustrated endpapers, illustrated throughout by Lois Lenski. Near fine in a very good dust jacket with some rubbing and a few small chips. Rare in the original dust jacket.

The best known incarnation of The Little Engine That Could was written by "Watty Piper", a pen name of Arnold Munk, who was the owner of the publishing firm Platt & Munk. Arnold Munk was born in Hungary, and as a child, moved with his family to the United States, settling in Chicago. Munk used the name Watty Piper as both an author of children's books and as the editor of many of the books that Platt & Munk published. He personally hired Lois Lenski to illustrate the book. The National Education Association named it one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children."