St. Fidgeta & Other Parodies

BELLAIRS, John. St. Fidgeta & Other Parodies. Illustrated by Marilyn Fitschen. NY: Macmillan [1966]. 8vo, 123pp. Red cloth pictorially stamped in black and gold. 22 full-page and numerous smaller b&w illustrations. Spine ends and corners minutely rubbed, upper front corner lightly bumped, else a fine copy in original color pictorial dust jacket (price-clipped).

First edition. John Bellairs’ first published work, this parody of 1960’s Catholicism describes the putative life of St. Fidgeta a seven-year-old martyr and the patroness of unmanageable children. Bellairs would go on to create numerous gothic mystery series for children – including the beloved House With a Clock in Its Walls, many of which were highlighted by the artwork of Edward Gorey.