Harlequin Ladybird Reading Scheme/Dung Beetle Ltd, 2015. Signed first editions. 3 vols. 8vo. Publisher’s decorated boards in highly accurate pastiche of the British “Ladybird Books” series, a ubiquitous part of the reading experience of every British child born between the 1940’s and the 1980’s with their occasionally not so gentle introduction to some fairly adult themes, and some strange historical choices. The Ladybird Book of The Aztecs was a particular favourite, nothing like an introduction to casual human sacrifice and colonial massacres to brighten up primary school reading hour. Miriam Elia has taken this instantly recognisable format and subverted it relentlessly to artistic and comic effect. The first volume caused no little controversy upon appearance, and Ladybird Books took a very dim view of the themes and obvious parody, legal action was taken and the selfpublished imprint needed a swift name change to “Dung Beetle Ltd.” The first printing under the Harlequin Ladybird name therefore became extremely collectable. The subsequent volumes, put out under Dung Beetle, were an extension of the artistic theme but dealing with a rather more diverse range of subject matter.