the babys opera a book of old rhymes with new dresses
walter crane 1845 1915 was one of the earliest contributors to childrens literature and one of the most influential illustrators in the development of childrens colour picture books . crane began working for edmund evans in 1864 producing bright colourful childrens books which revolutionised the type of childrens books available . this book the babys opera a book of old rhymes in new dresses was originally published in 1877 . it contains the music for many english nursery songs and cranes beautiful illustrations make it one of his best known books . many of the earliest childrens books particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive . pook press are working to republish these classic works in affordable high quality colour editions using the original text and artwork so these works can delight another generation of children .