Come to the window, little folks,
And read these tiny Story-books!
From ‘Snow-Flakes and the Stories they Told the Children’, by Matilda Betham-Edwards, illustrated by Hablot Knight Browne (Phiz), published ca. 1862
This is my personal favourite, it’s by Phiz, Dickens’ illustrator. I love his pictures full of charming, quirky detail. The elves in this are delightfully mischievous.
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All of these images are endearing in their own way, but this one is my favorite. I love the mixture of ‘realism’ (those perfectly-behaved children intent on a story) and fantasy (the curious elves poking into everything in the room). He probably enjoyed being able to invent without having Dickens telling him what his subject-matter had to be!
This is my favourite too! I love those elves, you keep seeing more as you look at the picture, and they’re all comical and whimsical. I love Phiz. I hope he did enjoy illustrating this delightful little book without Dickens looking over his shoulder!