Randolph Caldecott was one of the most popular illustrators of children's books in England during the last half of the nineteenth century. He may even have been the most popular among the beloved illustrators of the era, including his friends Walter Crane, Kate Greenaway, and Beatrix Potter, whose books for children are still reprinted and read today.  

In 1937 the American Library Association chose Caldecott for the name of its medal recognizing the most distinguished American picture book for children each year.  The design for the medal, drawn from one of his illustrated tales, The Diverting History of John Gilpin, features Gilpin on a runaway horse, followed by geese, dogs, and villagers.

With their humorous wordplay and exquisite illustrations, Caldecott's picture books engage the imaginations of children and adults alike. This new edition reproduces nine of his most popular stories:

• The House that Jack Built
• The Diverting History of John Gilpin
• Sing a Song for Sixpence
• The Three Jovial Huntsmen
• The Farmer's Boy
• The Queen of Hearts
• The Milkmaid
• Hey Diddle Diddle
• Baby Bunting

This is the third in the current series of Huntington Library Children's Classics featuring facsimiles from books and manuscripts in the Library's collection. The previous series of facsimiles included the first American edition of Cinderella (1961), Gelett Burgess's Purple Cow and Other Poems (1968), and Thomas Hood's Precocious Piggy (1969).

From the introduction to the book