King Kojo

THOMPSON, Ruth Plumly. King Kojo. Illustrated by Marge. Philadelphia: David McKay [1938]. 8vo, 239pp. Brick red cloth with color pictorial label affixed to front and spine stamped in black. Pictorial light blue endpapers; 8 color plates and numerous b&w illustrations. Corners and spine ends rubbed, a few spots on cover label heavily rubbed, spine a tad sunned, pp 7-10 nicked along fore-edge, else a clean, tight copy. With flap of dust jacket laid-in and note of authenticity handwritten by Dorothy Curtiss Maryott, the author’s niece. Inscribed by the author, Ruth Plumly Thompson, and – curiously – mistakenly dated 1928, ten years before the book was actually published.

First edition. This is the tale of King Kojo who rules over the land of Oh-Go-Wan (near the Rolantic Ocean) and the adventures that happen there. Brightly illustrated by Marge (of Little Lulu fame). This book, published the year before Thompson’s last Oz book for Reilly & Lee, shows how Thompson was looking to expand beyond Oz.