Padraic Colum 
The Boy who Knew what the Birds Said – Illustrated by Dugald Stewart Walker 

This illustrated edition of Padraic Colum’s children’s story, “The Boy who Knew what the Birds Said”, was originally published in 1925.

Padraic Colum (1881 – 1972) was an Irish novelist, poet, biographer, dramatist, playwright, children’s author, and folklorist. He is hailed as being one of the most important writers of the Irish Literary Revival. This charming and timeless tale is sure to entertain modern children as it did when first published and is not to be missed by collectors of classic children’s literature.

These tales are accompanied by the beautiful and intricate illustrations of Dugald Stewart Walker. Walker was one of the most highly-celebrated illustrators of children’s books during the early twentieth century and are best remembered for the lavish, magical realm that they frequently described. He is perhaps best known for his contributions to “Fairy Tales from Hans Christian Andersen” (1914), but also illustrated books such as “Rainbow Gold – Poems Old and New” and “Dream Boats and Other Stories”. Contents include: “How he came to Know what the Birds Said”, “The Stone of Victory”, “And How Feet-in-the-Ashes, the Swineherd’s Son, Came to Find it”, “The King of the Birds”, “Bloom-of-Youth and the Witch of the Elders”, “The Hen-Wife’s Son and the Princess Brightbrow”, “The Giant and the Birds”, and more.

Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s classics and fairy tales – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration. We publish rare and vintage Golden Age illustrated books, in high-quality colour editions, so that the masterful artwork and story-telling can continue to delight both young and old.