Беглецы [Fugitives], by Nikolai Chukovsky. [Leningrad]: Радуга, 1925. Russian.

A children's book describing the adventures of a flock of chicks who disobey their rooster father and set out to explore the world outside the barn where they live.

Enclosed with the book is a plate featuring the illustration of the rooster that appears on the inner back cover, in ink and watercolor. The illustration was created during one of the stages of preparing the book for print, with pencil-drawn page borders and stamps on the back.

Cover, illustrations, and additional plate were created by the Jewish-Ukrainian painter Arnold Lakhovsky (Арнольд Борисович Лаховский; 1880-1937), who is known for his landscape paintings. Lakhovsky studied at art academies in Odessa, Munich, and St. Petersburg, including under Ilya Repin. In 1908, he traveled to Palestine and for a short while served as a teacher at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. After returning to Russia, he completed his studies and was involved in establishing the Jewish Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts. He emigrated to Paris in 1925 and to New York in 1933, where he painted portraits and taught art for a living.

Booklet: [16] pages (including cover). 27.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Creases. Minor tears and pinholes to margins of leaves. Some inscriptions and scribbles. Tears, including small open tears to spine. Spine and gatherings slightly loose. Plate: approx. 29X23 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and minor creases.