This like-new first printing is in near fine condition. The pages are tight and unmarked, and the book is tight and square. The front board shows light marking, while the dust jacket is clean and unmarked. Bound in blue cloth with bright gilt lettering on the spine. The Children’s Book explores Olive’s career as a writer of children’s literature and serves as a broader metaphor for how the characters’ lives mirror fairy tales—often with dark or tragic twists. A. S. Byatt weaves in vivid descriptions of the era’s art, literature, and craftsmanship, referencing the real-life Arts and Crafts Movement and figures such as William Morris. The novel was shortlisted for the 2009 Man Booker Prize and has been praised for its meticulous historical detail and emotional complexity.