Sendak, Maurice - Where the Wild Things Are - Harper & Row: New York, 1963 - First Edition / First Printing / Later Issue Dust Jacket - “Copyright © 1963 by Maurice Sendak Printed in the United States of America All right reserved Library of Congress catalog card number: 63-21253” stated on the copyright page as required in order to denote the first printing of the first edition. Later issue dust jacket with the Caldecott Medal and an increased price.
"there are different ways to read the wild things, through a Freudian or colonialist prism, and probably as many ways to ruin this delicate story of a solitary child liberated by his imagination.” - Manohla Dargis
The book has soiling, edge wear, and a stain at the top which has caused rippling the most inside upper edge of the text block. The boards otherwise remain straight and mostly clean, the binding is square and firm, and internally there is a name penned at the top of the front end page but otherwise has no other writing or markings. The dust jacket has multiple short tears, soiling, and shallow chips. A mostly presentable example of a scarce early dust jacket which someone has married to a first printing. A solid and presentable example of this beloved book which is a true high spot in children’s literature, illustration, and likely one of, if not the, most beloved children book written in the last 75 years. Additionally basis for the under rated 2009 film adaptation.