Cecily Parsley’s Nursery Rhymes was published by Frederick Warne & Co. in December 1922 and is the second of Potter’s two nursery rhyme compilations (following Appley Dapply’s Nursery Rhymes in 1917). The book illustrates traditional nursery rhymes with Potter’s animals: Cecily Parsley (a rabbit) brews cowslip wine; three blind mice run from the farmer’s wife; guinea pigs tend their garden.
The illustrations were largely drawn from existing sketches and paintings that Potter had accumulated over decades, assembled into book form during a period when her creative energies were increasingly directed toward Lake District farming rather than book illustration. The quality of the individual watercolors remains high — Potter’s draftsmanship never deteriorated — but the book lacks the narrative cohesion of her earlier work.
The Final Phase
By 1922, Potter was essentially retired from children’s publishing. Her only subsequent book, The Tale of Little Pig Robinson (1930), was assembled from a much earlier manuscript. Cecily Parsley thus stands near the end of a publishing career that had produced some of the best-selling children’s books in the English language, while its author spent her days judging sheep competitions at Lake District agricultural shows.
Collecting Cecily Parsley’s Nursery Rhymes
First edition (Frederick Warne & Co., London, 1922): Small format boards with color illustrations.
Approximate market values:
- Fine: $500–$1,500
- Very good: $200–$500
Projected values (2026–2036): Modest appreciation. The most affordable Potter first edition, making it an entry point for new collectors.