This is a vintage hardcover children's book, Pea Patch Island by Polly Curren, with pictures by acclaimed illustrator Ronald Himler. It is a 1975 1st edition Golden Book, published by Western Publishing Company. The story recreates local folklore surrounding the origins of a real island located in the Delaware River. It tells of a ship, loaded down with a cargo of peas, that ran aground and sank in the river shallows many years ago. As time passed, the wet peas sprouted, grew, and trapped sand and silt. This process gradually transformed a simple mudbank into a lush, green, permanent landmass known today as Pea Patch Island. While written as an entertaining folk legend for young readers, the book is directly based on the actual history and regional mythology of Fort Delaware State Park.
As you can see in my photos, there are some small tears to the dust jacket in a few spots along the edges, and one unfortunate little hole in it just below the word "Island". The book itself, however, is in excellent condition. It's very clean, has no writing in it, and shows no signs of wear that I can see. I would say that without the dust jacket the book looks nearly new. It is a first edition, first printing, as indicated by the letter line inside the back cover. There aren't too many copies of this one around anymore! Asking $24.00 obo. Everything I have listed for sale is "or best offer", so feel free to make an offer.
If you're interested in this item, you can respond through Craigslist, text, or call me at show contact info
(ask for Cheri) to arrange pickup.
I sell a lot of items on Craigslist, so please take a look at my other stuff (sometimes free items as well). I come from a huge family of serious hoarders, so... Well, some people have yard sales, but I'm not able to do that, so I do this instead. It clears out the house and helps me get the last of my kids through college. All you have to do is search the word SALMAGUNDI on Craigslist, and all of my items should come up for you.