Stephens, J.; Caldwell, E.P.; Shaw, I.; Hemingway, E.; Steinbeck, J. [Short Stories]. Rasskazy. 

Illustrations by Tatiana Mavrina. 

Moskva-Leningrad, Detgiz, 1943. 
8vo, 77 pp., [5] leaves of pl.

In original wrappers and modern clamshell box. 
In good condition, small losses to spine, tears, lightly rubbed. 

First book appearance of Irwin Shaw in Russian. War-time edition. Very rare. 

This unusual illustrated edition was published specifically for young readers.
It includes: 'Strawberry Ice Cream Soda' by Shaw from his first story collection 'Sailor Off the Bremen'; a part of the novella 'The Red Pony' by John Steinbeck; 'Big Two-Hearted River' and 'A Day’s Wait' by Ernest Hemingway; excerpts from 'Paul Bunyan' by James Stevens; and two stories by Erskine Caldwell.
The illustrations are by Tatiana Mavrina (Lebedeva; 1900/1902–1996), a graduate of VKHUTEMAS. She was a member of 'Group 13', an association of graphic artists founded in 1929. Like many Russian avant-garde artists of her generation, she turned to children’s book illustration in the 1930s as a means of artistic expression that allowed her to avoid political repression during the Stalin era. Despite enduring hunger and hardship during WWII in Moscow, her illustrations remained tender, vibrant, and full of life. Mavrina is the first Russian artist to have received the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration.

Libman, #890.

We couldn’t trace any copy of this edition via OCLC.