Today it is impossible to think of Rudyard Kipling without immediately seeing the face of Mowgli, the familiar outlines of Baloo the bear and Bagheera the black panther, and the ruins in the jungle. Beyond the iconic literary status of The Jungle Book, the many adaptations of its stories have made its characters and settings familiar and intimate friends to us all.

The manuscript of The Jungle Book immerses the reader in Kipling’s beautiful handwriting and unseen drawings, as well as creating a new bond with Kaa, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Toomaï, Kotuko and friends. It is reproduced here alongside exceptional illustrations by French artist Maurice de Becque.