Abbott, Jacob [Principal of the Mount Vernon School, Boston, America]. Little Philosopher. Designed for the use of Juvenile Reasoners. Nelson, Thomas. Edinburgh. 1840.

214 printed pages + 2 pages publisher's catalogue at back. Printed by Stewart.&Co. A few pages roughly opened, not effectitng the text. Original pale yellow endpapers. All edges untrimmed. Contemporary ink inscription on front free endpaper, dated 1844. Provenance: E.G. Ralston, Glenelbrigg.    60 x 93mm. Original chocolate brown vertically ribbed cloth. Spine with gilt lettering within foliate gilt border. Corners very slightly bumped and worn. Intended 'to teach them [children] to think and to reason about common things...the main object of the work is utility, not amusement...it must be used as the text book of a teacher, not the mere reading book of a child'. Chapters include 'shape', 'hardness and softness', 'water', 'earth', 'air', 'heat and cold', 'sun', 'moon', 'face', 'ear', 'hair', 'feet', 'growth', 'pain and sickness', 'clothing of animals', 'habitation of animals', 'protection of animals', 'plants', 'leaves', 'flowers', 'fruit', 'seeds', 'situation of plants', 'chair', 'table', 'fire set', 'windows and doors', 'building', 'language', 'words', and 'experiments'. Not in Bondy, Spielmann, nor Welsh. No OCLC number available. WorldCat locates zero copies worldwide.