Which book introduced Cox's Brownie characters in their first compilation in 1887?

Cox’s Brownie characters first appeared in a compilation in The Brownies, Their Book, published in 1887. The volume gathered illustrated verse and stories about the energetic little figures created by Canadian author and illustrator Palmer Cox.

Although the book was the first compilation, the characters had appeared earlier in periodicals. Their earliest print appearance dates to 1879, while their recognizable final form appeared in the February 1881 issue of Wide Awake magazine. The story “The Brownies’ Ride” followed in St. Nicholas Magazine in 1883.

The 1887 book helped turn the Brownies into a major children’s-literature and merchandising phenomenon. Cox’s characters were shown as an international group of tiny men who enjoyed adventures, harmless pranks, and helpful deeds.

Several later titles can cause confusion, including Another Brownie Book, The Brownies Around the World, and The Brownies Abroad. Those were subsequent publications, not the first compilation. The series ultimately continued through 16 books after the original volume.