Yes, we have more than one reason to celebrate today! It’s been 13 years that Distributed Proofreaders opened its doors and started on its mission, and during those 13 years exactly 26,000 e-books have been uploaded to Project Gutenberg for all to enjoy. That’s an average of 2,000 books a year!
Comic Insects, the book chosen to mark the round 26,000, is just gorgeous: beautiful color plates about the creepy-crawlies accompanied by whimsical verses. There’s not that much more to say about it, go have a look yourself!
The Snail
Poor little Snail,
How very pale,
Your cheek is blanched with fear!
What horrid dread
Has made you shed
So many a slimy tear?
Come! faster crawl
Along the wall,
Leave care behind,—all’s well!
That seeming pack
Upon your back
Is near an empty shell.
As always, this and all the other books couldn’t have been produced without the help of all the volunteers that have given their time to Distributed Proofreaders during those 13 years. Thank you all!
Hot off the Press 
[…] 26000 Comic Insects, by F.A.S. Reid (1872), was posted October 1, 2013, as the 26,000th book. This is a collection of amusing poems about insects and features delightful illustrations by Berry F. Berry. The Hot off the Press blog post for this milestone, which coincided with DP’s 13th anniversary, can be found here. […]