A charming and highly collectible French natural history book for children, Le Petit Buffon des Enfants, published in Paris by Caillot in 1855. This is the third edition and a complete copy, illustrated with an engraved frontispiece portrait of Buffon and a lovely series of engraved animal illustrations throughout the volume. It is exactly the sort of appealing 19th century book that performs well at auction: decorative, evocative, and immediately attractive to both collectors and lovers of antique books. The volume is especially pleasing in its period speckled calf binding, with a richly gilt spine, red morocco title label, marbled endpapers, and an old French bookseller’s label on the pastedown. A genuinely charming copy with strong visual presence. Books of this kind have broad appeal: Buffon, natural history, juvenile literature, engraved illustrations, and a beautiful period binding all come together here in one very displayable little volume. Condition Complete copy. Binding with honest age wear: rubbing to the boards, wear and small losses at the spine ends, bumped corners, and some surface marks. Interior generally fresh and attractive, with light foxing and normal age-related wear. The engravings remain clear and very decorative. Overall, a charming and very presentable copy. The volume comprises 196 pages and measures 14x9 cm.