Creighton University

Rooke books had already pointed out to me that Cuniberti has a "vibrant and playful style of illustration which is especially appealing to younger audiences."  There are five lion fables here: LS; AL; "The Lion in Love"; "Lion, Fox and Deer"; and "The Old Lion and the Fox."  In LS, the last set of illustrations presents the other three "partners" weeping.  In AL, the last illustration has the lion licking Androcles' cheek.  In "Lion in Love," the farmer himself removes the happy lion's claws.  "Lion, Fox and Deer" has a surprisingly long text; if I were a child, I would not have the patience to get through all that prose!  A last page before the closing T of C has an image of a blissful lion angel with other lions flying around on either clouds or carpets.  This set of books has an interesting history.  Each cost 500 Lire new.  The set was sold to Eric Sweet for £30 each by M. & D. Reeve in Oxford in 2001.  We bought them from Rooke Book as part of a group of Sweet's library in 2025.  Unpaginated, with 2-3 heavy cardstock pages for each fable.  8" x 11.2".

Rooke books had already pointed out to me that Cuniberti has a "vibrant and playful style of illustration which is especially appealing to younger audiences."  There are six donkey fables here:  SS; “The Donkey Carrying a Statue of a God”; DLS; “The Donkey and the Mule Carrying an Equal Load”; “The Donkey Playing Lame and the Wolf”; “The Wild Donkey and the Domestic Donkey.”  SS features three lovely images of the donkey, with a load of salt, an empty basket, and basket heavy with sponges.  Well done!  The donkey’s owner in “Statue of a God” is fierce as he beats the animal.  This version of DLS has a fox recognizing the donkey’s ears.  “Equal Load” may be a form of the usual “Horse and Ass.”  It has to do with heaviness of load and equality of food.  May the mule be a heavier carrier than the donkey?  “Playing Lame” has a great image of the wolf knocked silly by the happy donkey.  The last fable is similar to DW: at first a wild donkey envies the domestic animal, but then sees him laboring and beaten.  A final page has a donkey blissfully playing a flute.  This set of books has an interesting history.  Each cost 500 Lire new.  The set was sold to Eric Sweet for £30 each by M. & D. Reeve in Oxford in 2001.  We bought them from Rooke Book as part of a group of Sweet's library in 2025.  Unpaginated, with 2-3 heavy cardstock pages for each fable.  8" x 11.2".

Rooke books had already pointed out to me that Cuniberti has a "vibrant and playful style of illustration which is especially appealing to younger audiences."  There are six fox fables here:  FS; FWT; “Fox and Dragon”; “Fox and Monkey King”; “Fox and Woodcutter”; “Fox and Goat.”  The four facial expressions in FS are excellent!  FWT has an unusual last page of the weeping fox holding his amputated tail.  “Fox and Dragon” is unusual, both in text and in being a single-page fable.  The fox tries to stretch himself out to be as large as the sleeping dragon.  The effort kills the fox.  The monkey king, shamed by the fox’s trick, ends up weeping with a ball and chain around his neck.  The final fable has a plausible reconstruction of how the fox could go up the fox’s back to escape the well.  Cuniberti has them both smiling in the process.  A final page has a fox blissfully playing a violin.  This set of books has an interesting history.  Each cost 500 Lire new.  The set was sold to Eric Sweet for £30 each by M. & D. Reeve in Oxford in 2001.  We bought them from Rooke Book as part of a group of Sweet's library in 2025.  Unpaginated, with 2-3 heavy cardstock pages for each fable.  8" x 11.2".

Rooke books had already pointed out to me that Cuniberti has a "vibrant and playful style of illustration which is especially appealing to younger audiences."  There are eight wolf fables here: “Wolf and Goat”; WC; “Satiated Wolf and Sheep”; “At the Monkey Tribunal”; DW; “Wolf and Horse”; “Wolf and Donkey”; WL.  “Wolf and Goat” is a one-page story, with a goat high on a narrow pyramid.  WC has a strong simple illustration.  “Satiated Wolf” is the story about three truths.  This lamb passes the test.  A second illustration here has them close and smiling lovingly at each other as chums.  “Monkey Tribunal” features three great facial expressions as the monkey renders his verdict.  In “Wolf and Horse,” the wolf offers barley that he cannot eat as a gift to the horse, who sees through his gift.  King wolf proclaims that all wolves will share equally; the donkey then asks him why he has a storehouse full of his own booty.  WL is a beautiful two-page illustration, with snarling wolf and smiling lamb.  A final page has a wolf blissfully playing a piano.  This set of books has an interesting history.  Each cost 500 Lire new.  The set was sold to Eric Sweet for £30 each by M. & D. Reeve in Oxford in 2001.  We bought them from Rooke Book as part of a group of Sweet's library in 2025.  Unpaginated, with 2-3 heavy cardstock pages for each fable.  8" x 11.2".