Occasionally we have come across a book that must be downgraded from Very Good condition to a mere Good, because frankly it appears to have been nibbled by a small animal. Usually this manifests as a chewed-looking corner of a book, probably the markings of a bibliophile chihuahua. Besides being good reading, books can be mighty tasty!
Recently, I was entering a book into our database by Thornton W. Burgess, the early twentieth century American author of children's books featuring such creatures as Happy Jack Squirrel, Peter Rabbit, Billy Possum, Jimmy Skunk, Reddy Fox, and Danny Meadow Mouse. This book was The Adventures of Prickly Porky and the book had super cute endpapers showing the animals of the forest wearing charming tops and bottoms (but not both).
As I was admiring the illustrations by Harrison Cady in Prickly Porky, I noticed this copy had a pink "fumitized" label attached to the rear free endpaper. I have not been able to find a definition of "fumitized," but for me it has the connotation of fumigation or rodent extermination. In any case, this book had not been nibbled.
