Rabbit and Carrots by Fern Bisel Peat

Rabbit and Carrots by Fern Bisel Peat 

1939

photomechanical offset lithography

This vibrant color print is a full-page illustration from the 1939 children's book When Toys Could Talk by Jane Randall. The artwork was created by celebrated American illustrator Fern Bisel Peat to bring a playful story to life. The scene features a stylized toy cat made of a yellow floral-patterned fabric with pink stitched accents. Its tail curls upward with a striped pink ribbon tied in a fine bow. The cat crouches on a dark surface against a bold orange background, eyeing a pastel patchwork ball and a small purple polka-dot toy mouse in the corner. The illustration highlights Peat's signature style, utilizing clean white outlines, flat fields of color, and intricate decorative patterns characteristic of mid-century commercial design.

The piece is situated within a flourishing era of American children's book illustration. Published by the Saalfield Publishing Company of Akron, Ohio, this work showcases the unique talents of Fern Bisel Peat. Peat was a prolific artist, magazine editor, and interior decorator specializing in children's rooms. She stood out as a successful female leader in an industry largely dominated by male artists, eventually serving as the art director for Children's Playmate magazine. This specific illustration is significant because it perfectly bridges her publishing work with her commercial toy designs. Her iconic, easily recognizable animal motifs were widely manufactured on tinware, tea sets, and nursery furniture during the 1930s. Original color plates from this scarce 1939 printing remain highly collectible examples of early modern American decorative art.

Dimensions: H 11 3/4" x 10"W

Condition: Tape on back. Small tears on the right and bottom.