Ward Lock Wonder Books Series Overview

The Wonder Books were a series of children's educational books published by Ward Lock & Co., aimed at older children, regularly issued between 1905 and 1981.

Covering a wide range of subjects likely to be of interest to young people of the era, the series included a significant transport books component featuring Railways, Aircraft, Ships, Motors, the Army, and Navy, along with industrial themes such as 'Engineering Wonders,' Science, Machinery, and Inventions.

The first series comprised thirty-two titles and ran from 1905 until around 1959, although there were some later reprints into the 1960s. Every title in this series included Dust Jackets, with the exception of the Deluxe Ornate editions and most of the ‘Wonder Book annuals.’

The second series, 'The New Wonder Books,' included seven titles published between 1960 and 1967, with a few reprints extending into the early Seventies. These were also issued with Dust Jackets that matched the hardback covers.

The final Wonder Book series consisted of eight Portrait Laminated Pictorial Hardbacks aimed at slightly younger children and was published in 1980 and 1981. By that time, Dust Jackets had fallen out of favor.

This series of books offers readers a fascinating insight into the fashions and ethics of the United Kingdom and its Empire (later the Commonwealth) during the early twentieth century, with many titles showcasing what older children engaged in during their leisure time before the rise of mass social media.

I highly recommend these children's educational books to collectors, although finding examples with well-preserved Dust Jackets can be quite challenging!

Please scroll down for the collection of front cover (front board) images.

Not every edition ever published is included here, but based on my research to date, I believe every picture cover variation is shown.

Wonder Book Numbers 19 to 31 and information on the un-numbered volumes and the later series can be found in the 'Ward Lock Wonder Books 2' section.