Kaladze, Karlo. Guram's Garden (Guramis baghi). Illustrated by S. Nadareishvili. Tbilisi, 1944. In Georgian.

კალაძე, კარლო. გურამის ბაღი : [ლექსი] / სურათები ს. ნადარეიშვილისა.
თბილისი : გამომცემლობა „საქმხატვარი“, [1944]. 16 გვერდი : ილუსტრაციები ; 24 სანტიმეტრი.
ნაბეჭდი გარეკანი. ტირაჟი 6 800 ეგზემპლარი.
***
Kaladze, Karlo. Guram's Garden : [poem] / illustrations by S. Nadareishvili.
Tbilisi : "Sakmkhatvari" Publishing House, [1944]. 16 pp. : ill. ; 24 cm.
Original printed paper wrappers. Print run of 6,800 copies.
Front wrapper bears a contemporary gift inscription from a relative to a child in blue ink.
Condition good: wrappers show age-toning, light spotting, and minor edge wear; text block is firm, illustrations are bright and clean throughout.

A poignant and exceptionally rare example of Soviet Georgian wartime children's literature, published in Tbilisi during the height of the Great Patriotic War (approved for print in late 1943, circulated in 1944). Written by the prominent Georgian poet and playwright Karlo Kaladze (1904-1988), the poem "Guramis baghi" (Guram's Garden) tells the story of a young boy cultivating a garden to support the war effort, ultimately sending his harvested watermelon to his father at the front. The narrative serves as a compelling historical artifact of the home front mobilization and patriotic education of Soviet youth during WWII. The book's visual appeal is immensely elevated by the vibrant color lithographic illustrations by S. Nadareishvili. Despite the severe material shortages of the wartime publishing industry, the artwork remains striking, utilizing a bold, expressive color palette characteristic of the best mid-century Caucasian graphic arts. Issued by the "Sakmkhatvari" (Georgian Artist) publishing cooperative in a print run of 6,800 copies, fragile children's books from this specific period were subjected to heavy use and are notoriously difficult to find today.