Gorbunov-Posadov, I. For Little Children: Stories and Poems. Book 21 (Malym rebyatam: Rasskazy i stikhi), 1911. In Russian

Горбунов-Посадов И. И. Малым ребятам: Рассказы и стихи. Кн. 21-я. / Рис. Е. М. Бём и др.
4-е изд. — Москва : Посредник, 1911.
32 с. : ил. Мягкая издательская иллюстрированная обложка, обычный формат. (Для детей младшего возраста).
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Gorbunov-Posadov, I. I. For Little Children: Stories and Poems. Book 21 (Malym rebyatam: Rasskazy i stikhi). / Illustrated by E. M. Boehm and others.
4th edition. — Moscow : Posrednik, 1911.
32 pp. : ill. Publisher’s illustrated softcover, standard format. (For young children).

This 1911 edition is a charming example of the pedagogical mission of the "Posrednik" (The Mediator) publishing house. Founded in 1884 with the direct participation and ideological guidance of Leo Tolstoy, Posrednik aimed to provide the "common people" and their children with affordable, high-quality literature that promoted universal moral values, compassion, and non-violence. Ivan Gorbunov-Posadov (1864–1940), the long-time head of the publishing house and a devoted follower of Tolstoy, curated this series to combine simple, evocative storytelling with clear ethical lessons.
The 21st book in the "For Little Children" series is particularly noteworthy for its illustrations by Elizaveta Boehm (1843–1914). Boehm was a celebrated master of silhouette graphics and watercolor, whose depictions of Russian childhood became iconic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her delicate, whimsical silhouettes perfectly complement the "populist" (narodnik) spirit of the text, emphasizing the innocence of childhood and the beauty of rural life.
The contents consist of short, accessible stories and rhythmic poems designed for early reading or reading aloud. The themes focus on kindness to animals, the importance of honest labor, and the joys of the natural world. These "moral primers" were instrumental in the movement for public education in pre-revolutionary Russia, serving as a counter-narrative to the more rigid, religious, or sensationalist children's literature of the time.
Despite being a "4th edition" intended for mass circulation, surviving copies in good condition are becoming increasingly rare. The fragile paper covers and the utilitarian nature of these books meant that few were preserved by their young readers. For collectors of Russian children's books, admirers of Elizaveta Boehm's art, and historians of the Tolstoyan movement, this 1911 volume is a significant artifact of a vanished era of Russian enlightenment.