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1935 Whitman THE WISE LITTLE HEN Early Donald Duck Silly Symphony Disney Book---1935 Whitman The Wise Little Hen – Early Donald Duck Appearance – Silly Symphony Era – Vintage Disney BookUp for sale is an authentic 1935 Whitman Publishing softcover edition of The Wise Little Hen, written and illustrated by the staff of Walt Disney Studios. This title is one of the earliest printed appearances of Donald Duck, produced shortly after his 1934 debut in the Silly Symphony cartoon.This copy includes all correct features of the first‑wave Whitman Disney storybooks:• Front cover: Full‑color farm scene with early‑model Donald Duck, Peter Pig, Wise Little Hen, and chicks
• Title page: “Story and Illustrations by the Staff of the Walt Disney Studios”
• Copyright: 1935 by Walt Disney Enterprises
• Publisher: Whitman Publishing Company, Racine, Wisconsin
• Endpapers: Original Silly Symphony black‑line illustrations featuring Peter Pig and a duck (correct for 1935–36 printings)
• Interior: Period pulp paper, early Disney linework, original 1935 text
• Binding: Vintage brown kraft‑paper spine reinforcement with tape evident on the spine, consistent with early preservation practices for Whitman softcovers
Condition:
Pages are clean and complete with strong illustrations. Binding remains stable with original reinforcement and visible tape on the spine. Expected light wear from age. A well‑preserved, collector‑worthy example of an increasingly scarce early Disney publication.Why this book matters:
This 1935 Whitman edition is recognized as one of the earliest obtainable book‑format appearances of Donald Duck. Early Whitman Silly Symphony books are highly sought after, and surviving copies with original spine reinforcement — even with period tape — are uncommon.Keywords for collectors:
Disneyana, Donald Duck debut, Silly Symphony, Whitman Racine, vintage Disney book, 1930s children’s book, early animation history, rare Disney collectible, Peter Pig, Walt Disney Enterprises, antique storybook.
