‘Toto in Volendam’ is one of the very first children's books by Dick Bruna. It dates from the same year as the first book about Miffy (1955). In the 1950s a total of seven children's books were published by Dick Bruna. Besides ‘Toto in Volendam’ and ‘Nijntje’ (Miffy), these were ‘De Appel’, ‘Nijntje in de dierentuin’, ‘De kleine koning’, ‘Tijs’ and ‘De auto’. All these books appeared in a rectangular format; from 1963 onwards, Bruna's children's books are all square. (Information taken from nijntje.nl) The seven first picture books by Dick Bruna appeared in a very limited edition and for that reason, and also because of the different format, are popular among collectors. This copy of Toto in Volendam is in fair condition. The cover is severely damaged and has fallen apart into two parts. As a result, the interior has come loose from the cover. The interior shows handwritten text (only the name of the first owner). The interior itself has stains, tape remnants and wear to the paper. Apart from that, the prints are all intact and still beautifully coloured. Please take a good look at the pictures, which show all the pages of the book. All in all, a very special booklet that marked the beginning of Dick Bruna's long career in which he became world-famous.