Ladybird Books

Ladybird books were made to be collected. From the 1940s Wills & Hepworth of Loughborough published them in numbered series, each with its own theme, and many collectors set out to complete a series rather than chase single titles. That is what our checklists are for: log in, tick the books you own, and see what is missing.

How the series numbers work

Each series has a number, such as 497 or 606D, and each book has a position within it. That position is not always printed on the book, so collectors work it out from publication order and the title lists that Ladybird printed on its books. Where our numbering comes from a single source, the edition page says so.

The checklists

• Series 497: Animal Tales. Ten animal stories by Noel Barr with pictures by P.B. Hickling, published from 1949 to 1955, starting with The Inquisitive Harvest Mouse.
• Series 522: Bible Stories. Ten stories by Lucy Diamond with pictures by Kenneth Inns, from 1952 to 1959, and two later titles by D.S. Hare.
• Series 606D: Well-Loved Tales. The 27 fairy tales retold by Vera Southgate between 1964 and 1974, beginning with Cinderella. Many are illustrated by Eric Winter or Robert Lumley.

We have also placed two books that are often filed in the wrong series. British Wild Flowers (1957) belongs to Series 536: Nature, and Puppies and Kittens (1956) is the first book in Series 563: Learning to Read.

Same title, different book

Ladybird kept popular titles in print for decades and refreshed them. From 1979 many of the original Well-Loved Tales were reissued with new pictures; Cinderella, for example, was re-illustrated in 1981. A re-illustrated book is a different edition, not a later printing of the original, and collectors value the two separately. Check the illustrator as well as the title.

Formats changed too. Early books came in dust wrappers over the boards, later books had pictorial boards alone, and the style of the boards and the price changed over the years. We are still researching the points that identify a first impression for each title, so for now our checklists cover titles, numbers, dates and illustrators. If you have an early copy, adding it with a note of what the boards, endpapers and back list show helps us complete the record.

How we value

Values belong to a specific printing and condition, graded from Fine to Poor. Many Ladybird books sell for modest sums, so condition and completeness often count for more than rarity. An early title in its dust wrapper, or a complete run of a series in matching condition, is where collectors pay a premium.