If you ask your mother whether she knew about Peter Pan when she was a little girl she will say, "Why, of course, I did, child," and if you ask her whether he rode on a goat in those days she will say, "What a foolish question to ask, certainly he did." Then if you ask your grandmother whether she knew about Peter Pan when she was a girl, she also says, "Why, of course, I did, child," but if you ask her whether he rode on a goat in those days, she says she never heard of his having a goat. Perhaps she has forgotten, just as she sometimes forgets your name and calls you Mildred, which is your mother's name. Still, she could hardly forget such an important thing as the goat. Therefore there was no goat when your grandmother was a little girl. This shows that, in telling the story of Peter Pan, to begin with the goat (as most people do) is as silly as to put on your jacket before your vest.

The great Victorian illustrator is at his most radiant in this beguiling collection of otherworldly illustrations from magazines, periodicals, and novels such as Milton's "Comus" and Hawthorne's "Wonder Book." Rackham's unmistakable artistry and style bring life to a phantasmagoric parade of more than 80 creatures from both dreams and nightmares.

James M. Barrie (1860-1937), Scottish author and dramatist, best known for his character Peter Pan. The play Peter Pan or, The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up was first performed in 1904 and published in 1928;

Other titles in the Peter Pan series are; The Little White Bird: or, Adventures in Kensington Gardens (1902), Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (1906),When Wendy Grew Up: An Afterthought (1908), and Peter and Wendy (1911). The ever popular characters of Peter, Wendy, Tinker Bell, The Lost Boys, Captain Hook, and the other pirates, indians, and fairies have inspired numerous adaptations to the stage, television, and film. The 2004 film “Finding Neverland” is based on Barrie’s life.