LITTLE BLUE AND LITTLE YELLOW
First printing of Leo Lionni's first picture book, a sweet story stemming from color theory – the review copy for THE HORN BOOK, with their stamp.
Fine in original dust jacket.
Price: $350.00
LITTLE BLUE AND LITTLE YELLOW
"Happily they hugged each other and hugged each other until they were green."
Leo Leonni's colorful, dynamic children's books are defined by his use of collage and stamping for his illustrations. Though he spent the bulk of his career as art director for advertisements and periodicals including FORTUNE, it was in picture books that he found "the key to unlocking decades of personal fears, joys, insecurities and loves" through simple metaphor (NEW YORK TIMES). Leonni's love for the medium translated into critical success, earning him four Caldecott Honors and the adoration of many young readers.
LITTLE BLUE AND LITTLE YELLOW "began as a desperate effort to calm [Lionni's] two rambunctious grandchildren on an hour-long train ride" using torn-up fragments of a magazine (NEW YORK TIMES). By the end of the train ride, Lionni noticed that not only were his grandchildren pacified, "the passengers who were sitting within hearing distance had put down their papers and were listening, too" (NEW YORK TIMES). THE HORN BOOK called LITTLE BLUE an "unusual, imaginative, stimulating, and appealing picture book"; the present copy, with their stamp, is the copy they used to write their review.
Read more: Steven Heller, "Leo Lionni, 89, Dies, Versatile Creator of Children's Books," New York Times 17 October 1999.
The Object
New York: McDowell, Obolensky, (1959). 8'' x 8''. Original tan cloth binding with black stamping. Original unclipped ($2.95) color pictorial dust jacket with "an Astor Book published by McDowell, Obolensky" on front panel (and title page); "Ages: 3-6" on front panel; and "Astor Book #5" on rear pabel. Illustrated in color. Last line of copyright page ends "by Graphic Offset Co." Printed on matte paper. [20] leaves. Jacket with light edgewear and sunning to spine, a bit of loss to spine ends; one long closed tear to rear, one 2" closed tear to front, both with careful tape repairs to reverse. Binding with a hint of bumping to spine ends. Clean and bright.
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