I want to thank you and your brother for Abbott’s series of Histories. I have not education enough to appreciate the profound works of voluminous historians, and if I had, I have no time to read them. But your series of Histories gives me, in brief compass, just that knowledge of past men and events which I need. I have read them with the greatest interest. To them I am indebted for about all the historical knowledge I have.

Abraham Lincoln

Jacob Abbott is regarded as the first American author to base a series of books on a child character and earn a great deal of money doing so. In this first edition of an early novel in the series, Rollo is a headstrong but curious boy who learns moral lessons through his experiences around the world. He rescues baby birds, stands up to bullies, and learns to listen to adults. His emotional growth progresses steadily, as he works out his relation to nature, culture, and God. The internationally acclaimed Rollo series dominated the world of children’s writing, encompassing 28 written volumes by Abbott over approximately 15 years, including the later Rollo in Europe series.

Boston Public Library, Rare Books & Manuscripts