A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go

A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go was published in 1883 by George Routledge & Sons. It was one of the ‘Picture Books’ created as part of the collaboration of illustrator Randolph Caldecott and Edmund Evans, an innovative wood engraver and printmaker. Two picture books, printed in full colour, were published annually. They were sold for one shilling each as an affordable alternative to the hand-coloured children’s books that were more common previously. The story is based on a 16th century nursery rhyme, now known as Frog Went a-Courtin, and features a frog wishing to court a mouse. This frog character served as direct inspiration for Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher, and her family owned several of the original ink drawings for A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go.