The Just So Stories were published in 1902 in the United States by Doubleday, Page & Company and in London by Macmillan and Co., Limited. A copy of the London edition was sent to Doubleday, Page & Company from which to print the American edition.
The Just So Stories consists of twelve stories, each with a decorated first initials; 22 illustrations with parallel commentary which expands the story text preceding each full-page illustration; and twelve framing poems which follow each story.
Both the American and British first editions were issued in cloth with different covers. The British edition in red with an illustration of the elephant's child and a border of other animals and the American edition in green with an illustration from the"Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo." Click on the images below to see larger images.
Collation: 4 leaves, pp252 – Blank leaf, fore-title, title, contents, 4 leaves: text including the 22 plates by Kipling,, pp.1-249; printers’ device, p251.
There is no introduction or dedication.
Rudyard Kipling illustrated the book with 22 full- page black and white illustrations, and decorative letters introducing each of the twelve stories. “How the Alphabet was Made” and “How the First Letter was Written” are also illustrated within the text.Below is an illustration from " How the Whale Got His Throat," the first story. In his autiobiography Something of Myself Kipling talks about this illustration.
On one trip our steamer came almost atop of a whale, who submerged just in time to clear us, and looked into my face with the unforgettable little eye the size of a bullock's…When I was illustrating the Just So Stories, I remembered and strove after that eye (p.138).
Kipling also wrote comments on each of his illustrations and these expand upon the text giving details not given in the stories and describing the meaning of illustrations which are as full of jokes as the stories.For example in the commentary below which accompanies the illustration above, we learn the name of the "Slute Fish.
Here is the Whale looking for the little 'Slute Fish, who is hiding under the Door-sills of the Equator. The little 'Slute Fish's name is Pingle. He is hiding among the roots of the big seaweed that grows in front of the Doors of the Equator. I have drawn the Doors of the Equator. They are shut. They are always shut, because a door ought always to be kept shut. The ropy-thing right across is the Equator itself; and the things that look like rocks are the two giants Moar and Koar, that keep the Equator in order. They drew the shadow-pictures on the doors of the Equator, and they carved all those twisty fishes under the Doors. The beaky-fish are called beaked Dolphins, and the other fish with the queer heads are called Hammer-headed Sharks. The Whale never found the 'Slute Fish till he got over his temper, and then they became good friends again.
The size of the cover is 25 centimeters by 19 centemeters. There are wide margins on each page with text taking up 16 by 11.5 centemeters on the story pages.
The text is quite readable particularly for the stories where capital letters measure 4/10 centemeters and small letters measure 3/10 centemeters. Larger story title headings (.5 centemeters for capital letters) appear on each page of each story page. Smaller type is used for the illustration commentaries (2/10 centimeter for capital letters) and for the framing poems.This is a bit more diffiicult to read. Below is a sample page with one of the decorative lettersthat introduce each story.
The paper seems to be holding up although there is some foxing and some of the pages of the American edition I examined are torn.
The covers are cloth covered pasteboard. The spine of the American edition reads Just So Stories with a fan design between the title and Kipling. There is no illustration on the back cover of the American first edition.
Both the British and American title pages read:
The American edition below has a diamond shaped design between the illustrator credit and the publication information (New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1902).On the verso of the title page is the copyright information including the copyrights for nine of the stories.
The British edition below has no design on the title page but has a publisher's monogram design on the facing page. The publication information is London: Macmillan and CO. Limited, 1902.On the verso of the title page is the copyright information.
The British edition at the University of Illinois at Chicago has the very rare dust jacket with the Cat illustration on the front and an advertisement list for "Books for Young Readers" by Rudyard Kipling and for "New Books for the Young" by other Macmillan authors. Click on the images below for larger images.
